One baker quits, another faints and a third hurls themselves to the floor – has the Channel 4 show ever seen so much drama in one epsiode?

The Great British Bake Off has one of the most dramatic episodes in its 15-year history tonight – with three bakers crumbling under the pressure of biscuit week. In extraordinary scenes one baker quits, another faints and a third crashes to the floor.

As the last of the trio lurches sideways in a dramatic tumble, during judging of the showstoppers, judge Paul Hollywood can barely contain himself, declaring: “What the hell is going on?” His sidekick Prue Leith shows more sympathy, asking the latest casualty: “Are you all right?”

The rest of the bakers, who have just spent four hours making an edible puppet theatre, are shaken but also collapse in giggles, with Andy saying: “They’re dropping like bloody flies!”

Baker Illiyin suffers a fainting fit in tonight’s episode of The Great British Bake Off
The baker who faints is 31-year-old midwife Illyin, who last week received a coveted Hollywood handshake just 20 minutes into cake week for her cinnamon roll loaf. This week, as she starts to swoon, another baker is heard to shout: “Got a medic?”

One is duly rushed into the tent and Illyin is put into the recovery position on the floor, from where she can be heard to say: “I just feel dizzy.” Her fainting episode comes after the fares less well in this week’s signature challenge, which earned her the handshake in last week’s series debut. Tonight she describes the critique of her Viennese sandwiches as “gutting” and admits: “I knew biscuits were a problem.”

Last week’s star baker John reacts with shock as another baker tumbles to the floor
Because Illiyin still feels “woozy”, she leaves the tent for further medical attention and is not present to for the judging of her showstopper, with Noel Fielding stepping in. He laughs that the experience is hugely stressful, joking: “I’ve had nightmares about this.”

Bake Off’s Noel Fielding chats to Illiyin in last week’s episode ( 
Image:
Channel 4)The two tumbles follow the decision by one baker to quit the tent for good during the technical challenge, stating simply: “I’ve had enough. I’m done.”

Viewers can see all the action from biscuit week when the show kicks off tonight on Channel 4 at 8pm.