Who left the tent in week 2 of The Great British Baking Show season 16? Details explored

The Great British Baking Show season 16 returned with another episode on September 12, 2025.

This time, the bakers faced Biscuit Week, where they were challenged to create a variety of delicacies from scratch. 

While some participants exceeded the judges’ expectations, others fell short of hitting the mark. Unfortunately, for one baker, it marked the end of their journey in the tent. 

In episode 2, the contestants bid farewell to 59-year-old software delivery manager, Leighton. He was eliminated at the end of the episode after the experts concluded that his performance failed to impress them. 

While speaking to the cameras, Leighton reacted to his departure, saying:

“I know, I know, but someone had to go, right? I’ve had the most fun I’ve had the most fun on Bake Off. I’ve loved it. I mean, I’ve had the opportunity, and then I come up against these amazing bakers.”

Leighton was unable to outperform his competitors when it came to the bakes.

In both the Technical Challenge and the Showstopper Challenge, his preparations were underwhelming. From thick and hard biscuits to underbaked gingerbread, Leighton’s mistakes cost him his spot in the competition. 

What all did The Great British Baking Show star Leighton make in week 2 of the series?

For Signature Round, judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood challenged the bakers to make 12 slice-and-bake biscuits that had to reveal a picture or design when sliced. 

Leighton decided to make orange slices of “delight” that would come with an orange-chocolate ganache dip.

While tasting his dish, Prue praised him for being able to give the biscuits a vibrant orange color. 

“These look amazing. Very clever,” Paul echoed a similar sentiment. 

The Great British Baking Show judge added that the biscuits were perfectly baked and had “great” flavor to them.

Prue agreed, appreciating Leighton’s decision to go with the chocolate-orange combination. 

For the Technical Challenge, The Great British Baking Show contestants were tasked by Prue to bake their take on the classic hobnob. 

“Your hobnob should be topped with a thin layer of caramel and have two different feathered chocolate designs,” host Alison explained.

With two hours on the clock, Leighton and the rest started to prepare their oat biscuits, hoping to impress the judges. 

But for Leighton, the challenge turned into a nightmare.

The experts were not only disappointed with his feather decorations, but also agreed that the caramel layer and the biscuit layer were “too thick.”

Then came the Showstopper Round, where The Great British Baking Show stars had to make a biscuit-centered time capsule.

Those needed to be highly decorated and filled with at least five edible mementos.

Leighton wanted to make a comeback after the previous round, so he decided to present the judges with “Leighton’s Piano Memories Biscuit Time Capsule.”

It was made out of gingerbread and contained shortbread mementos that highlighted his childhood memories. 

While reviewing the piano, Paul noted that it lacked “finesse.” Additionally, he pointed out that the dish was severely underabaked.

It was so raw that the center of the shortbread items was still wet. 

With that, all three rounds of challenges were completed. Leighton ended up having a bad day as both his Technical and Showstopper dishes received negative feedback. 

The judges deliberated and ultimately decided to send him home, even though there were other contestants with underwhelming bakes in the episode. 

Despite his journey in the tent coming to an end, Leighton was happy to be able to compete. 

Stay tuned for more updates.