Waterlooville security guard Dave Friday makes it to semi-finals of Great British Bake Off

Waterlooville’s Dave Friday joined his fellow bakers in preparing 12 mini and identical cheesecakes before the group face the hardest technical challenge seen this series.

Set by judge Prue Leith, the bakers were sent back to the 1700s and tasked with making two Sussex pond puddings, a dessert which has a lemon in the middle.

But the judges were left unimpressed by everyone’s attempts.

Dave, 30, who has just welcomed baby Ronnie into the world with girlfriend Stacey, finished in fifth place, Peter fourth, Hermine in third and Marc in second.

Laura finished first but received faint praise from Prue, who said: ‘Laura, I wish I could say it was wonderful but it really wasn’t much better than the rest.’

For the showstopper, the final five bakers, who have all been star bakers, had to make a jelly art design cake in four-and-a-half hours.

Marc opted to make an apple jelly with chocolate and strawberry mousse while Laura went for a ‘flower power’ koi jelly art cake.

Dave made a Newquay beach scene cake, complete with guava and apple flavouring, and Hermine attempted a chocolate and raspberry mousse jelly cake.

Peter went for a Christmas theme with a snow globe jelly cake.

Laura was up first and Prue described her koi cake as ‘brilliant’ and fellow judge Paul Hollywood agreed and said it was ‘perfect’.

Moving on to Dave’s effort, Paul described his clotted cream mousse as ‘too stodgy,’ but Prue was a fan and said the cake was ‘quite an achievement’.

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Peter’s snow globe faced criticism from Paul who said it would have benefited from bolder colours and that his sponge was ‘slightly overbaked’.

Marc’s cake was overcooked and ‘like concrete’ but Hermine impressed wit her flower jelly art which Prue said was a ‘real triumph’.

The showstopper success earned Hermine star baker but Marc’s failure led to his elimination.

Dave, Peter, Hermine and Laura will go on to compete for a place in the final on Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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