Entertainment
Great British Bake Off 2021 sparks Ofcom complaints over Jürgen’s exit before final
Many fans were shocked that Jürgen was eliminated before the final (Picture: Channel 4)
Jürgen’s exit from The Great British Bake Off 2021 sparked huge upset among fans of the show, even sparking Ofcom complaints.
During the latest episode of the Channel 4 programme, Giuseppe was crowned the winner by judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood after going up against Crystelle and Chigs in the tense final.
While many were happy to see Giuseppe win the title, some were disappointed that Jürgen didn’t make it to the grand finale, having impressed throughout the competition and been dubbed Star Baker three times.
Having been eliminated in the semi-final, it has since emerged that some people were so disgruntled by his departure that they contacted the media watchdog.
Ofcom confirmed that it received 115 complaints about The Great British Bake Off on Tuesday November 16, with the complaints relating to the treatment and elimination of the baker.
Ahead of the final, Jürgen shared a sweet video on social media of himself with his cat, urging fans to support the three finalists by writing: ‘Please support my friends baking in THE FINAL OF GBBO 2021 @giuseppecooks Chigs and Crystelle. Don’t forget the tissues.’
Giuseppe was crowned the winner after a tense final with Chigs and Crystelle (Picture: Channel 4)
Several fans remarked during the final on how much they missed seeing Jürgen on their screens, with one tweeting: ‘God this Bake Off final is stressful. Also I miss Jurgen.’
‘Thinking about how amazing Jurgen would have been in the final,’ another person wrote.
When Jürgen left the competition, he wrote a heartfelt exit letter that left viewers in tears, comparing his experience on the show to ‘flying to the moon’.
‘Who wants to fly to the moon if you can be on Bake Off? It was such a fantastic ride!’ he wrote.
‘Preparing all the recipes gave me confidence to experiment with flavours in sweet baking, to an extent I’ve never done before.’
More: Channel 4
When he appeared on the spin-off show Extra Slice on Friday evening, Jürgen appeared overcome with emotion as he reacted to the positive response he’s received from fans.
He said that while it ‘would have been nice’ to be in the final, he felt ‘relieved’ to have exited when he did.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Channel 4 for comment.
The Great British Bake Off is available to watch on All 4.
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What is Ofcom and what does it cover?
Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day.
The watchdog makes sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.
Ofcom deals with most content on television, radio and video-on-demand services, including the BBC. However, if your complaint is about something you saw or heard in a BBC programme, you may need to complain to the BBC first.
Its rules for television and radio programmes are set out in the Broadcasting Code.
The rules in the Broadcasting Code also apply to the BBC iPlayer.
This Broadcasting Code is the rule book that broadcasters have to follow and it covers a number of areas, including; protecting the under-18s, protecting audiences from harmful and/or offensive material and ensuring that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Audiences can complain to Ofcom if they believe a breach of the Broadcasting Code has been made.
Every time Ofcom receives a complaint from a viewer or listener, they assess it to see if it needs further investigation.
If Ofcom decide to investigate, they will include the case in a list of new investigations, published in the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
An investigation is a formal process which can take some time depending on the complexity of the issues involved.
Ofcom can also launch investigations in the absence of a complaint from a viewer or listener.
