Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith Savaged Josh in ‘The Great British Baking Show’ Finale

I have complicated feelings about the end of the 2023 season of The Great British Baking Show. After a mostly positive bounce back, Netflix‘s British import seemed to fumble the bag in the final episodes. It’s not that I’m mad that a certain Dark Horse claimed ultimate victory; I’m upset by how that final win happened. Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith played fast and loose with their own rules in the final rounds of judging, ultimately holding the final three bakers to wildly different standards. In short, Paul and Prue went out of their way to pile on the season’s frontrunner to the benefit of ultimate winner.

**Spoilers for The Great British Baking Show finale, now streaming on Netflix.**

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith totally bodied Josh Smalley in The Great British Baking Show finale, opening the door for Matty Edgell to scoot his way to the win. I want to say that the judges’ final decision prioritized sentimentality over consistency, but if there’s one place in which Paul and Prue have been consistent this season, it’s in shanking Josh. How else can you explain the cold-hearted critiques labeling his Showstopper as “boring” and not his “best shot”? For whatever reason, Paul and Prue had it out for Josh this season. Josh knew it, the audience knew it, but somehow The Great British Baking Show carried on oblivious to it.

27-year-old rugby enthusiast and research associate Josh Smalley immediately stood out in the tent when the 2023 season of The Great British Baking Show premiered two months ago. Smalley had a penchant for perfectionism that would emerge week after week during the Showstopper Challenge. He made a Highland cow cake, floating jelly flowers, and a tiger loaf of bread. However, it would take six weeks for Josh to earn his first Star Baker. No matter how good his Showstoppers were, Paul and Prue made the logical argument that they wanted to award someone who had been consistently strong throughout all three challenges. That was fine! That made sense to me! However, that all changed in the all-important finale.

In case you didn’t watch The Great British Baking Show finale and are dying for a recap… Josh Smalley, Matty Edgell, and Dan Hunter entered the Bake Off tent this week for one final showdown. For the Signature Challenge, Paul and Prue asked them to make eight eclairs in just a little over two hours. Josh smashed the brief. Matty did very well, even if Paul and Prue hated his unkempt cherries. Finally, Dan overextended himself and made some basic errors. The men then had to make eight slices of lardy cake for the final Technical Challenge. Matty came in last, Dan second, and Josh once again excelled.

So Josh basically was in first place. Matty’s eclairs kept him in the running for Star Baker, but Dan was lagging behind the competition heading into the Showstopper…

For the final Showstopper, the bakers had to make an elegant three-tiered cake inspired by their first bake…or Bake Off journey. (I don’t know! Paul and Prue said one thing up top, but judged by the other!) Dan made multiple mistakes with his lemon drizzle cake, ranging from not having enough lemon drizzle to serving barely baked macarons. Matty, on the other hand, produced a beautiful three-tiered cake that Paul and Prue called almost “perfect,” were it not for its resemblance to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Matty did well…but did he out-bake Showstopper King Josh?

According to Paul and Prue? Yes. Me? I’m not sure the case was made.

So, here’s what The Great British Baking Show claimed was wrong with Josh’s four seasons-inspired cake: the apple didn’t come through, Paul thought the sponge might be over-baked, and it was “boring.” Throughout those critiques, Paul and Prue also praised Josh’s neat piping before then slamming it. They loved his biscuit greenhouse, thought his jam was “perfect” and his lemon curd was “nice.” The biggest issues Paul and Prue had were that he needed more time to make the final product snazzier and that it didn’t blow them away. Meanwhile, Matty’s cake started tilting even more as the episode went on.

I get that Matty eked ahead of Josh during the Showstopper, but it wasn’t the blowout I think needed to usurp Josh as the ultimate winner. Especially since Paul and Prue have previously passed over Josh because they wanted to reward consistency. How was Matty’s poor Technical Challenge performance overlooked?

Josh, to his credit, literally said that he thought Paul in particular was being extra harsh because of the standard Josh had set for himself in past Showstoppers. If that was Paul and Prue’s argument, then they’ve sort of admitted that Josh’s season-long track record was better than his competitors’.

Paul and Prue spent most of this season of The Great British Baking Show on their best behavior. Hugs were doled out alongside handshakes. Kind words were shared. However, the one baker the duo seemed determined to crush was Josh. They bent the rules to deny him the ultimate win while also going out of their way to bring him down.

The Great British Baking Show audience deserved better, but, more importantly, Josh Smalley deserved better. Josh deserved to win.