Popular duo return to win Great British Bake Off New Year’s special

Val Stones and Selasi Gbormittah have been crowned the winners of The Great British Bake Off’s festive New Year special, triumphing in a hotly contested return to the iconic tent.

The popular duo, who first captivated audiences during the seventh series of the baking show when it aired on BBC One, reunited for the special broadcast on Channel 4.

Their victory was secured after impressing the judges with a trio of ambitious bakes: a meticulously crafted Christmas tree pie display, elegant New Year’s-themed entremets, and a towering festive biscuit showstopper.

Following their win, Gbormittah succinctly expressed his delight, stating: "There’s not much to say except it’s been great."

The special episode featured a star-studded line-up of past contestants. Among the other competing pairs were Andy Ryan and Nelly Ghaffar from series 15, and Tasha Stones, a series 14 competitor, who teamed up with Briony May Williams from series nine.

Completing the formidable roster for The Great New Year’s Bake Off were two former champions: Giuseppe Dell’Anno, who won series 12, and Rahul Mandal, the victor of series nine.

For their initial challenge, the bakers were tasked with creating at least 12 savoury pies from shortcrust pastry, arranged into a festive design. Gbormittah and Stones presented a diverse selection, featuring gochujang-spiced chicken, classic chicken and mushroom, and a rich three-cheese and onion filling.

The technical challenge saw the pair emerge victorious, as they expertly crafted six New Year’s-themed entremets.

These intricate desserts comprised a hazelnut joconde base, topped with a delicate white chocolate bavarois and a luxurious chocolate and hazelnut praline mousse. Judge Paul Hollywood praised their "good" mirror glaze, while Dame Prue Leith declared the mousse and bavarois "perfect".

The final showstopper round required the bakers to recreate a scene from their favourite Christmas film. Drawing inspiration from the 2003 movie Elf, Gbormittah and Stones constructed an impressive edible rendition of the Empire State Building, which Hollywood suggested could be the tallest showstopper in Bake Off history.