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Warning: This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of the Great British Bake Off.
While you might associate clumsy Great British Bake Off innuendos more with the Mel and Sue era, Prue Leith brought them back in spectacular fashion during Tuesday night’s launch show.
And it all had to do with a certain mischievous rodent.
During the first Showstopper challenge of the new season, the new batch of bakers were tasked with putting together an elaborate cake shaped like an animal of their choosing, with former flight attendant Nicky opting for a beaver, having once dressed up as one.
So far, so innocent, right? And while there were a few titters when Prue claimed she wasn’t “even sure what a beaver looks like”, it wasn’t until she encouraged Nicky to “tell us about your beaver” that the entire tent – not to mention viewers watching at home – descended into fits of laughter.
Who’d have thought a beaver would become part of Bake Off history.
Welcome to the team, Norman the Beaver! @PrueLeith#GBBOpic.twitter.com/vgWg2pHkUV
— Channel 4 (@Channel4) September 26, 2023
The fun didn’t stop there, either, with Paul Hollywood lamenting behind the scenes that Nicky’s bake (who, incidentally, she’d named Norman) “looked amazing, but it was bone dry”.
“I don’t like dry beavers, do you?” new addition Alison Hammond was then heard joking, all of which sparked some big reactions over on X (formerly known as Twitter)…
“Nicki tell us about your beaver”
Good to have bake off back 🤣 #GBBO
— Magadeep 🍟 (@NFTmagadeep) September 26, 2023
“Her beaver looked amazing but it was bone dry”
🤣🤣🤣
— Magadeep 🍟 (@NFTmagadeep) September 26, 2023
I’ve been watching for 5 mins and Pru is talking about never seeing a beaver? Bake Off is back baby. #GBBO#GreatBritishBakeOff
— Lara Badger (@LaraBadger1) September 26, 2023
You can always tell when bake off is back! #beaver#BakeOffpic.twitter.com/w5GIbA1swT
— David Byatt🌈 (@David_Byatt1) September 26, 2023
Bake off is so wholesome until Prue Leith makes a beaver joke. #GBBO
— ilona burton (@ilonacatherine) September 26, 2023
Bake Off comment of the week award goes to…
"Her beaver looked amazing but it was bone dry" 😂😂😂#GBBOpic.twitter.com/yrC3EXuOBn— Keeley Chambers 💙 (@keeleychambers) September 26, 2023
Innuendo Bake Off Bingo has begun with 'Beaver' 🤣@BritishBakeOff#GBBO#bakeoff
— Babita – Personalised Wooden Gifts (@woodenyoulove) September 26, 2023
This might actually beat "Howard's peachy buns" as my most memorable and adored bake-off moment #GBBOhttps://t.co/wAMLDqkfxU
— Grace Snow – #A11y (@gracesnow) September 26, 2023
That line won’t be topped all series! Thank you Prue! #GBBO ‘Nicky, tell us about your Beaver!’ #beaver
— Cerys Nelmes 🦄 (@cerysnelmes) September 26, 2023
“Tell us about your beaver”… Give Prue a BAFTA 😂 🦫🍰 #GBBO
— Andy (@andyedmeads) September 26, 2023
If “So tell us about your beaver” doesn’t become common parlance in baking conversation from here on in I’ll be highly surprised.
And the answer must always be “it’s dry” 😳 🍰
Welcome back bake off. 🙂 #tellusaboutyourbeaver#GBBOpic.twitter.com/PJ0Ie2REaJ
— Paul Jenkins – Poet (@teacherwriterPJ) September 26, 2023
“Tell us about your beaver” oh Prue 😂 #GBBO
— Andrew Fletcher (@palliative_dr) September 26, 2023
“Her beaver looked great but it was dry as a bone.”
The Great British Bake Off does it again. #gbbo 🦫
— StefLyoness (@Stef_Lyoness) September 26, 2023
Funniest thing I have watched in ages.
A much needed laugh. #GBBO 🦫 https://t.co/urdcHZR1mb— Jen #SlavaUkraini🌻💙💛🇺🇦 (@060644FranceJen) September 26, 2023
A leaning cake, a missing raspberry & Prue asking a contestant about her beaver! Bake off season 14 is iconic already!
— Martin Youldon (@martin_youldon) September 26, 2023
they put beaver innuendo from Prue in the intro video. Let's hope this is how the series continues 🤣 #GBBO
— Josh the Savage 🇺🇦 (@joshsavage) September 26, 2023
Soooo…. Did anyone else watch Bake Off with their small humans and have to explain why you're laughing about that lady's dry beaver? 😬🤣 #GBBO
— KJ Thundercat (@kjthundercat) September 26, 2023
Tuesday’s episode marked Alison Hammond’s debut as host, having taken over as Noel Fielding’s co-host from Matt Lucas earlier this year.
Perhaps ironically, Prue previously spoke of her excitement at having Alison join her in the Bake Off tent, as she thought the daytime star might bring some maturity to the tent.
“I love Matt Lucas and I’m sure we’ll be friends for life,” she claimed. “But the fact is, when there were three men and me, because there were numbers of them, they just got sillier and sillier and I never understand the jokes.
“They can go into hysterics about the word sausage. They’re like four year olds. So, I’m looking forward to having a woman around.”
Alison received a huge thumbs up from viewers – as did the whole episode, which many hailed as a return to form for the long-running baking show.
The Great British Bake Off continues on Tuesday night at 9pm on Channel 4.
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