The most memorable Great British Bake Off moments ever - showstoppers, disasters, and more!

The Great British Bake Off has been delighting viewers for 12 seasons, we take a look back at some of the best moments.

The Great British Bake Off return date has been confirmed and fans are waiting with bated breath until Tuesday, September 13, when they will be introduced to the Great British Bake Off 2022 contestants.

Ahead of the latest series, reflecting on some of the best moments of the previous series feels only natural - and there have been a lot of iconic moments. From baking disasters to iconic innuendos, there are a number of scenes that makes The Great British Bake Off one of the most beloved TV shows in the UK. Here are just some of the highlights...

When Sura accidentally ruined Matt's bake

During Bake Off 2020 a pesky fly was the cause of a lot of drama as Sura swatted the fly away from her own bakes and accidentally knocked Matt's miniature pineapple upside down cakes onto the floor. 

This was one of the most dramatic moments of the eleventh series and Sura's accomplishments as star baker that were soured by the earlier drama. Of course it was a complete accident and fans felt terrible for Sura as she tried to make amends to her fellow contestant.

Custardgate

In season four of the series, fans were shocked and horrified as the unthinkable happened. Deborah accidentally used Howard's custard in her own trifle when she picked it up from the fridge by mistake. 

This shocking scene was labeled Custardgate by loyal fans but thankfully all of the bakers survived another week and no harm was caused by this shocking moment!

Baked Alaska bingate

Any Bake Off fan will recall the Baked Alaska bingate of 2014 when Iain Watters lost his cool when he discovered that fellow baker, Diana Beard took his ice cream cake out of the freezer and it had melted on the side.

The baker then threw the bake in the bin and brought the bin to the Paul and Mary to judge. Iain left the tent following this poor performance, and soon after controversy ensued when Diana also left the tent. However her departure was apparently nothing to do with the incident and was actually because she suffered from a fall that left her without a sense of smell or taste.

The Lion bread

In series six of GBBO, Paul Jagger created an iconic lion showstopper that he named the 'King of the Jungle' bread sculpture.

The baker impressed judges and Paul Hollywood described the bake as one of the best things he had seen in bread, but this still didn't earn the baker a handshake! The bread-based feline featured edible almond claws, rosemary sprig whiskers and poppy seed eyes. 

Ruby's cake collapses

In series 9 of the series, fans watched in horror as Ruby's vegan celebration cake came tumbling down after the challenge had finished. The bakers could only watch in horror as Ruby's impressive cake came crumbling down and presenter Noel Fielding had to break the news to her. 

Thankfully the bake was still tasty and despite it's rather wonky appearance, Prue and Paul were impressed by the 'very good' cakes. 

Laura's Freddie Mercury cake

Laura from the 2020 series made fans laugh as her Freddie Mercury tribute cake struggled to bare any resemblance to the Queen singer and looked rather horrifying.

Laura's lemon and elderflower Freddie was met with laughter from the judges who giggled as Laura explained that his 'head exploded' and unfortunately his cake-based neck was not cooperating. Prue and Paul concluded that the cake was delicious and Paul went so far as to say that he 'loved it,' so despite appearances Laura did very well.

Nadiya's levitating cheesecake

Nadiya Hussein was one of the most beloved bake-off contestants and with good reason! The baker was a marvel in the kitchen and would constantly shock the judges with her innovative bakes. 

Her levitating fizzy pop cheesecake was yet another one of her showstopper challenges that left jaws on the floor. Not only did Naidya invent her own formula for the cream soda flavoring for her cheesecake, but she also impressed judges with the innovative presentation of her tiered cheesecake showstopper. A lovely wholesome moment from the big white tent.