The Great British Bake Off 2021 final review – a Wonderland to behold

It may not have felt as vital or soothing as last year's series, but this was a corking final, with a Mad Hatter's tea party Showstopper and disasters for all the finalists

Warning: this article contains spoilers

Was this a vintage year for The Great British Bake Off (Channel 4)? I'm not sure it will go down as an all-time great, though it was a good, reliable series. It was, however, a strong finale, with strong contestants who were, as we were often reminded, the most evenly matched in Bake Off history. Perfectionist Giuseppe, aesthete Crystelle and self-taught lockdown prodigy Chigs had all shaken the hand of Paul Hollywood twice, and were all crowned star baker twice. It was impossible to tell who was going to win.