“I’ve Had It — I’m Done”: Andy Tragically Crumbles During ‘The Great British Baking Show’ “Pastry Week”

**Spoilers for The Great British Baking Show Season 12 “Pastry Week,” now streaming on Netflix**

The Great British Baking Show “Pastry Week” tragically claimed one of the tent’s finest this week, with one of Season 12’s most beloved bakers going home. I’m upset, I’m verklempt, and I’m completely unsurprised that Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith sent Essex-based mechanic Andy Ryan home. In a week where every baker on the Netflix show struggled a little bit, only Andy truly struggled a lot. He burned his pastry in the Signature Challenge, fell behind in his time management during the Technical Challenge, and bet too big on toffee as the vehicle for his Paris-Brest stand.

Nevertheless, it was just awful watching Andy crumble in real time on The Great British Baking Show this week. It’s not just that he’s been one of the most entertaining bakers in the tent this season — offering hilarious asides and self-deprecating ribs at every turn — but Andy is good. Andy is a good baker. He’s routinely proven that he has a natural affinity for all things dough, crumb, and candy. So much so, that a huge part of the heartbreak I felt watching Andy’s fall from grace came from his own real-time recognition where he went wrong. Andy knew he could bake better than he did this week and that was what broke my heart.

For the first challenge on The Great British Baking Show “Pastry Week,” Paul and Prue asked the eight remaining bakers to bake twelve frangipane tarts. What is frangipane? Well, frangipane is a sweet custard that is traditionally made with almonds, but, naturally, Paul and Prue encouraged the bakers to think outside of the box. While eventual Star Baker Gill dazzled the judges with her unique pistachio and blueberry frangipane, Andy kept it rather old school with a tart that honored his grandmother.

While other bakers — namely Illiyin Morrison and Dylan Bachelet — had to completely remake their tart pastry, everything seemed to be going to plan at first for Andy. Then, he realized that he had left his pastry in a bit too long for the blind bake. “Oh, fudge,” Andy cursed. “It’s overbaked. No!” A baking sheet was tossed in rage before Andy began whisking his curd with quiet fury. As Andy predicted, Paul and Prue loved his curd and his pistachio/almond frangipane, but not the pastry.

After this blow, Andy confided in his confessional interview that he hoped that the Technical Challenge would not be filo, a famously finicky pastry dough that most professionals don’t even bother trying on their own. Naturally, it was. Paul Hollywood wanted the bakers to make his take on Spanakopita in just two and a half hours. Andy wound up in second to last, right behind Gill.

Going into the Showstopper, Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond once more teased Paul and Prue that it would all be down to this final bake. The results of the first two challenges were so topsy turvy that anyone could save or doom themselves with their take on a Paris-Brest. Unspoken was the fact that Andy really, really, really needed to do just that after two lackluster Challenges.

Because this is The Great British Baking Show, Paul and Prue didn’t just want the bakers to make a Paris-Brest. Oh, no. That would be too easy. The bakers also had to produce an edible stand for their Showstopper. As soon as Paul heard that Andy was constructing his stand out of toffee, he expressed concern that it would be strong enough to bear the load. Andy forged on, though, and produced two beautiful stands out of toffee. However, as soon as he attempted to delicately perch the top piece onto the stand piece, the top shattered.

“I’ve had it. I’m done,” a devastated Andy says, surveying the broken pieces.

“Just take a breath,” Illiyin advises.

Andy then attempts Plan B, trying to use his second toffee base in lieu of the broken piece. “No, that ain’t gonna work.”

The camera pans to Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding, who say there are only ten minutes left. Andy then shakes off his disappointment, saying, “Forget about that. We’ve got to get this done. Don’t give up.” GO, ANDY, GO!

At this point, there was a glimmer of hope that maybe Andy could fight through. Perhaps his Paris-Brest would taste incredible. Maybe Paul and Prue would overlook the broken toffee stand. It was still possible that Andy could save himself!

In the end, Andy and Illiyin found themselves in the bottom. Both had failed to produce a structurally sound stand and neither of the bakers’ Paris-Brests had stood out amongst the crowd. So when Paul and Prue began comparing the two troubled bakers, I felt like it was inevitable that Andy’s name would be called. He knew he had done poorly in all three challenges. He kept telling us, himself.

There’s something so bittersweet about getting truly upset over a baker’s elimination on The Great British Baking Show. Of course, you don’t want to see anyone leave the tent too soon. However, when you’re actually devastated that they won’t be back next week, it’s a telltale sign that they made a sizable impact on the tent and The Great British Baking Show itself.

Only the really incredible bakers’ exits hurt. The ones who light up The Great British Baking Show with their intoxicating energy and the ones who dazzle us with sublime bakers. Andy was one of those bakers who make The Great British Baking Show so great.