THE Great British Bake Off said “ciao” to the seventh baker to be eliminated from the show during the first ever Italian week.

Yan, a 46-year-old scientist from north London, praised her wife of 17 years for her support during the competition, and for keeping her grounded when it became “overwhelming”.

She described the Italian theme as a “bootcamp for bakers” and struggled while making classic Sicilian cannoli in the signature challenge, her pastry offerings pretty much falling apart in judge Prue Leith’s hands.

In the technical challenge, which saw the six remaining bakers tasked with having to create the perfect margherita pizza, Yan came in fifth place due to underbaked dough.

And in the tricky signature challenge – dubbed “pure murder” by Leith – Yan’s batch of 24 sfogliatella, shell-shaped filled pastries from Campania, failed to impress.

Judge Paul Hollywood critiqued them as “quite raw”, and Leith said she was “a bit disappointed” in them, and that they were a “mess”.

Yan said of her experience in the series: “From the very moment I stepped into the tent, and started competing against so many great bakers, it really lifted my game.

“It’s about making yourself better, and we all wanted to nurture our talent collectively."