Dame Prue Leith has reflected on the moment Alison Hammond ‘saved’Great British Bake Off 2024 winner Georgie Grasso.

Earlier this month, Alison, 49, stepped in when Georgie had a wobble in the tent on the Channel 4 show and yelled ‘I quit’ and gave her a pep talk.

On today’s This Morning, Alison recalled to Georgie how she had ‘ups and downs’ on the programme and ‘nearly gave up’ at one point

Interjecting, Dame Prue, 84, reminded Alison: ‘You saved the day as you gave her a pep talk.’

Alison explained: ‘Well, I could see her sabotaging herself and I thought “Not on my watch”.’

Georgie had a breakdown when she was tasked by judge Paul Hollywood to make an opera cake.

But she became overwhelmed and declared: ‘I’m going, I’ve had enough, I’m going. I just don’t want to do it. I’m done. I’m going to stand here until the end.’

Alison rushed over and put her arm around a distraught Georgie and told her: ‘Listen to me, I’ve been where you are, what you’ve just done, listen, this is what you’re doing. You put yourself into a “I can’t do this” [mindset].

‘Listen to me you’ve got this, a million per cent. Please, I’m begging ya, get that negative and throw it away right now.’

After her words of encouragement, Georgie returned to her station and resumed baking.

Georgie won the fifteenth series of Bake Off after competing against finalists Christiaan de Vries and Dylan Bachelet.

The last episode saw the trio attempt to make scones for the signature, while their last technical challenge involved them making an afternoon tea.

For the showstopper, the three finalists whipped up a hanging tiered celebration cake that would be suitable as a centrepiece for a summer garden party.

Georgie ultimately took t he crown, making history as not only the first Welsh person to win, but the first to reach the final.

After her name was called out, Georgie looked visibly taken aback but relished in her moment at the finale garden party. She jumped for joy as her fellow bakers celebrated with her. Her legs then ‘went to jelly’ so when her daughter hugged her, they fell to the floor.

Speaking of the achievement, Georgie said: ‘Oh my gosh being the first Welsh baker in the final was a massive achievement in itself, so to have won it is just the best feeling in the world. 

”There were times in the series I thought I might be going home.

‘The fact that I did it for Wales was amazing, and I had massive support throughout from Wales. I hope I have done them proud.’

She called her elderflower and lemon sponge with strawberry and champagne confit and a lemon curd and elderflower buttercream ‘the most challenging bake I’ve ever done’ but it definitely paid off.  

‘This is mad. I have won it, I can’t believe it. This is just incredible. I can’t believe that I’ve won the Great British Bake Off,’ the 34-year-old children’s nurse later said.

‘It just means everything.’

Georgie, who spoke about having ADHD in the episode, continued: ‘I have always been so self-doubtful. I have got this and that wrong with me and think I can’t do it, and you make excuses.

‘For once I thought I am just going to go for it and put my everything into it working all hours and I sacrificed time with the kids and the family.’

Earlier in the episode, Georgie had promised Paul, 58, she’d roll down the hill if she was victorious, and much to his joy, stayed true to her word.

Rather than doing the show for a chance at a huge cash prize, the 12 bakers who are selected do it for the love of the craft. Georgie walks away with flowers and a cake stand, but also pride at their achievement.

She will be taking them back to her farmhouse in Carmarthenshire, which she shares with her husband, three children, ten chickens, five ducks, two dogs and a cat. The trophy has been placed ‘centre stage in the kitchen so everyone can see it’.

Georgie, Christiaan, 34, and Dylan, 20, all tested themselves to the limit in their final hours on the show after 49-year-old Alison’s warning: ‘This is the bake between winning or losing.’

Their commitment to the process and dedication to creating something special led to Dame Prue, 84, and Paul admitting they found deciding who should be champion tough.

However, in the end, they jointly agreed on the worthy winner: ‘Georgie did what she does best – classic British baking beautifully done – and won it, and quite right, too,’ said Dame Prue.

Paul added: ‘The Welsh wonder, Georgie, smashed it out of the park.’

Dylan was last to finish his final bake with his biggest competitor becoming the clock. As Christiaan and Georgie were putting the finishing touches on their cakes, he was still taking his sponges out the oven.

‘I still have a whole cake I need to crumb-coat and layer. I’m not going to get everything I want done,’ he stressed. As always, he eventually managed to pull it off, and while he may not have won the show, he’s now got a job ina Michelin-starred restaurant.

Not only did the three bakers do themselves proud but, luckily, Alison managed to stay upright for the entirety of the final.

The Great British Bake Off is available to watch on Channel 4

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