VIEWERS are celebrating the return of the UK institution that is The Great British Bake Off this week.

But as a new group of competitors gather to roll, sift and cream their way to success – it’s hard to believe that it has been a full decade since one of the most infamous moments in Bake Off history.

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Audiences will all remember the episode where Iain Watters was axed from the competition after throwing his ruined Baked Alaska into the bin in a fit of rage.

The construction engineer claimed his dessert was not fit to present to judges after it got taken out of the freezer by fellow contestant Diana Beard, who was trying to squeeze hers in.

Iain was sent home by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood when he failed to show them his creation.

He has since maintained that the BBC were at fault for the incident rather than Diana, who suffered from backlash after the scene was aired.

In an interview with the Guardian, Iain said: “I feel bad for Diana because she’s had quite a mauling on Twitter and I don’t like all the nasty comments that have been directed towards her.

“I think it’s a bit unfair and I do think they could have edited the episode a bit better.

“It was more of a technical error than a baking error and it maybe should have been taken into account a bit more.

“There was a lot of discussion afterwards off camera between the contestants and a lot of the bakers thought they shouldn’t have thrown anyone off the show that week because of the way it happened.”

It was later revealed that two of the Bake Off freezers had broken that day, leaving contestants with limited space to store their Showstoppers.

GBBO loyals recently revisited the memorable moment on social media.

One person posted the dramatic clip of Iain’s so-called ‘bingate’, and fans rallied to express their outrage at him being booted from the show.

“The anger I still feel after all these years. Can’t imagine how he feels!” one person commented, while another wrote, “Nope, still not over it.”

Back in 2014, there was so much controversy over Iain’s exit that the BBC had to issue a statement clarifying that Diana’s removal of Iain’s ice cream from the freezer for “less than a minute” was not the reason for his elimination.

At the time Bake Off host Sue Perkins also defended the decision made by the judges, saying: “Iain’s Alaska was out of the freezer for 40 secs. That’s it. No sabotage. 40 secs of normal temp would NOT be enough to reduce it to liquid.”

Diana, who received a horrific tirade of abuse online, said she was made a “scapegoat” by show bosses while slamming the editing.

“I’m disappointed with the way it’s been portrayed,” she told BBC Radio Shropshire. “I’ve been stitched up, haven’t I?

“We were 12 amateur bakers, there’s no prize money involved. Why would I sabotage Iain’s Baked Alaska?”

Despite the media frenzy that followed his Bake Off appearance, Iain has taken the drama in his stride.

He returned to his regular job as a project manager in construction after the show aired.

By 2015, he was spotted working on a project at Queen Mary University in East London, where he helped build new library and gym facilities.

Although he occasionally gets recognised for his “distinct look”, Iain has largely moved on from his time on TV.

In 2016, Iain made a final light-hearted nod to his time on GBBO while tying the knot with his partner, Catriona Mills.

His wedding cake?

A Baked Alaska, of course, showing that he was able to look back on the whole experience with a sense of humour.

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Jamie Borthwick’s appearance on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing might raise a few eyebrows.

After being one of the stars rumoured to have signed up to the BBC dancing competition, the EastEnders actor’s participation was confirmed in August.

However, his inclusion might frustrate purists of the show who believe contestants should not have prior dancing experience; Borthwick, 30, won the Strictly Christmas special alongside Nancy Xu in December 2023.

The couple performed the Quickstep and achieved the maximum 40 points from the judges.

Borthwick will appear on this year’s series alongside contestants including presenter Nick Knowles, singer Toyah Willcox and model and former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri.

The actor is best known for playing Jay Brown in BBC soap EastEnders – a role he has played since 2006, when he was just 14. His role on the series earned him a British Soap Award for “Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress” in 2008. His other TV credits include the Lee Mack sitcom Not Going Out.

Borthwick attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, whose alumni included Daniel Kaluuya, Dua Lipa and Amy Winehouse.

In 2019, Borthwick joined a number of his fellow EastEnders co-stars in running the London Marathon to raise awareness for dementia in honour of Barbara Windsor. The Peggy Mitchell star died one year later. Earlier this year, he ran the London Marathon in character for a storyline raising awareness of brain tumours.

He has also regularly fielded rumours of a romance with his co-star Danielle Harold, who appeared on last year’s series of I’m a Celebrity.

Harold said of the speculation: “I’m just going to leave that one out there, because it’s so funny. It makes me laugh so much, I’d hate to squash it!”

The actor previously revealed he was asked to be on Strictly in 2018, but said the plan “didn’t work out”.

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Speaking of his appointment, Borthwick said: “I had a ball doing the Strictly Christmas special last year, so when I was asked to join for this series it was the easiest yes!

“This is a fresh challenge and it will be so different to be learning a new dance every week and for the public to have their say.

“I’m hoping to be Salsa-ing around Albert Square in no time and I’ll be asking my Walford Strictly alumni for some words of wisdom. See you on the dancefloor!”

A formerStrictly contestant whose previous dance experience led to criticsim was musical theatre star Layton Williams, who was accused of having an unfair advantage of his other fellow contestants.

He said of the backlash in an interview: “I’ve taken it on the chin; I get what everyone’s saying. But if you could be a fly on the wall in this rehearsal room, it’s not easy for me.”

RUTH Langsford took some time out of the city for a trip to the countryside.

The TV presenter split from Eamonn Holmes after 14 years of marriage in May this year.

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Ruth, 64, shared a video from a train carriage as she travelled from Euston, London.

“Bye bye London” she wrote on her story.

Switching to a leafy green landscape, she wrote: “Hello countryside!”

Ruth, 64, has recently hired a “fierce” divorce lawyer after Eamonn also 64 went on holiday with his new girlfriend Katie Alexander.

He will be up against Catherine Costley, a protegee of Baroness Fiona Shackleton, who was enlisted by Paul McCartney in his break-up.

The big-gun legal eagle has worked under the country’s top divorce lawyer, “Steel Magnolia” Baroness Fiona Shackleton, who represented Charles in his split from Diana, and Sir Paul McCartney.

Ms Costley revels in her fierce reputation and has said all women should have a “go bag” secret fund if exiting a relationship quickly.

Loose Women host Ruth turned to her several months ago as she seeks to end her 14-year marriage to Eamonn with a financial settlement.

The GB News presenter’s spending since their split is likely to come under the spotlight in the divorce case.

Eamonn, who is now confined to a mobility scooter, went to Spain earlier this month with Katie, 42.

Whilst they were away, Ruth reportedly decided to remove the stairlift from the home they used to share.

His health took a nosedive in 2021 when he suffered from a dislocated pelvis, and shortly after, three slipped discs.

The TV presenter admitted that the pain has led to him having countless “sleepless nights”.

Ruth previously said that she was uneasy about the amount of medication he needed to relieve his pain.

He also enjoyed a luxury cruise with his new girlfriend.

He got around with the help of an electric wheelchair as the couple flew to Barcelona to board Virgin Voyager’s Scarlet Lady.

The ship has been referred to as “a sanctuary at sea”, and has room for up to 2,700 adult passengers.

Eamonn and Katie travelled along Spanish, Italian and French coasts on the luxury liner – and she has been referring to him as her “soulmate” since the romantic holiday.

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