Great British Bake Off runner-up Dylan Bachelet admitted he “barely baked” before entering the show as paid tribute to his experience to his fellow bakers and time on the show.
After an impressive run on the show, including two Star Baker titles, Dylan stumbled in the grand finale on Tuesday night.
The 20-year-old had been praised throughout the series by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith for his creative and inventive flavours.
However, the pressure of the final proved too much for the former retail assistant, whose underwhelming scones and afternoon tea left him in last place.
Fans admitted they were watching the finale through their fingers as Dylan and the other finalists tackled the ultimate showstopper.
Unfortunately, Dylan's "gravity-defying" floating cake, inspired by the Italian town of Murano, failed to impress. Judges described the sponge as "lumpy" and "concertinaed," leaving Dylan as a runner-up.
The 15th series crowned Welsh mother-of-three Georgie Grasso as the winner, but there was a bright spot for viewers when the episode revealed what contestants have been up to since leaving the show.
The Channel 4 star, who has long expressed his dream of becoming a professional chef, is now working in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
In a heartfelt tribute to the show, Bachelet admitted he “barely baked” before joining the latest installment as he paid tribute to his fellow finalists Grasso and Christiaan de Vries in a lengthy Instagram post.
He shared: “The final was a rollercoaster, but I enjoyed it so much, and looking back on it now, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. @georgiegrasso WEEEEIEIEIEIEUEBYOURE THE WINNER OF BAKE 2024, YOU ARE AN ABSOLUE LEGEND.”
The burgeoning chef shared that he is “craving” Grasso’s “bakes all the time” before adding: “I loved chatting and spending time with you, I always leave our conversations feeling refreshed and joyful.”
He branded his fellow runner-up De Vries a “life saver” and “inspiration”, continuing: “I love sharing ideas with you and letting our minds go off about something.”
Speaking of his own experience, Bachelet wrote: “I couldn’t have ever imagined I’d be in the final, I barely baked before the show, every week was a different beast, so with every week I learnt so much in order to get through.
“I took the whole show a week at a time, never stopping to look back at what I’d done, and now it’s over, I’m a finalist. That’s unreal to me.”
Adding: “I’m sad it’s over, the last year of my life has been intertwined with bake off, and everything amazing that comes with it. The people, the food, the creativity, the fun and the challenge. I will miss it all so much.
“That being said I am very excited and ready for the future. I can finally say that, and that’s exciting in itself.”
He concluded his post by thanking Bake Off viewers for watching, and his fellow bakers, “I had doubts about all of it at the beginning, but you all made me feel so comfortable. Such an extraordinary group of people. I will forever relish the memories of our dinners, an absolute highlight of my life, free food and fantastic company.”
At the end of Tuesday night’s final, fans were thrilled to hear of Bachelet landing a job at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
One penned on X/Twitter: “Bitterly disappointed Dylan didn't win, we think the pressure was too much for a 20yr old, but then to read he's got a job in a Michelin Star restaurant was the icing on the Bake Off cake.”
“Dylan in a Michelin star restaurant? Who really won?” another commented. A third viewer added: “Ahhh I'm so happy to see Dylan landed a fantastic job. Absolute star. Well done!!”
Paediatric nurse Grasso made show history as she became the first contestant from Wales to win The Great British Bake Off.
The 34-year-old from Carmarthenshire faced off against Christiaan, who works for a leading fashion brand, and retail assistant Dylan, in the final episode of the Channel 4 baking contest to take home the top prize.
She impressed the judges with an elderflower and lemon sponge with strawberry and champagne confit and a lemon curd and elderflower buttercream.
On hearing her win, Georgie said: “This is mad! I have won it, I can’t believe it. This is just incredible. I can’t believe that I have won The Great British Bake Off.”
