GBBO Semifinal: four bakers vie for three final spots in Patisserie

The Great British Bake Off returns to its iconic tent on Tuesday evening as the series 16 semifinal airs at 8pm on Channel 4, with four remaining amateur bakers competing for three places in next week’s final. The penultimate episode, scheduled to run for roughly 75 minutes, will focus on Patisserie Week and sets contestants a trio of technically demanding challenges that could determine who leaves the competition before the grand finale on November 4.

This week’s format follows the show’s customary structure of a signature, a technical and a showstopper. In the signature round bakers will produce cream horns. The technical challenge requires contestants to assemble a sugar glass dome, an exacting test of temperature control and timing. For the showstopper, each baker must construct a macaron sculpture that represents something meaningful to them, combining delicate meringue work with structural ambition. Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding will host the episode while judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood will assess the bakes and decide which three will advance.

The semifinal comes after a quarterfinal marked by the exit of a widely liked contestant, leaving the tent with a smaller...