Heat on for Sussex mum in Great British Bake Off quarter final (From The Argus)

Heat on for Sussex mum in Great British Bake Off quarter final

2:40pm Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News By Ben Leo, reporter

She has survived seven weeks of torturous tarts, dodgy doughnuts and tearful tantrums.

But now Cathryn Dresser, 27, is the only Sussex representative left on the BBC hit show The Great British Bake Off after Sarah-Jane Willis was sent home last week.

The partners in crime had formed a formidable friendship on the third series of the show, but had to bid farewell to each other as Sarah-Jane’s baking failed to impress the judges.

Cathryn, from Pease Pottage, near Crawley, said: “I was really gutted that my best baker friend had to leave.

“We had the most fun you could ever imagine and I was really sad that we weren't both able to make it through another week together. We all feel genuine sadness each week as someone leaves.”

The pair of baking-enthusiasts had been appearing on the show since August 14, where the search began for Britain’s best amateur baker.

Each week contestants have their baking goods prodded, poked and judged to see who will be progressing to the next stage and who will be having their cake and eating it.

Normally each week only one baker is sent home. But last week’s episode saw a double eviction which Cathryn managed to survive. 

Cathryn said: “Staying in last week was truly amazing, what a relief.

“With two people going we all felt even more at risk than usual, so making it through to the quarter final was just the best feeling.

“I was so excited to tell my family I had made it through to the next week. There was a huge sense of achievement and joy.”

Despite a few bumps on the rocky road to baking stardom, including her self-confessed "baking disaster" American Peanut Butter Cup Pie in the American round, the mother-of-two remains positive for her future in the competition.

She added: “The bake off is seriously the most fun, rewarding and fantastic but sometimes scary experience you could imagine, I am so blessed to be involved.

“This week is biscuit week, with show-stopping gingerbread structures and as per the trailer, my tea cake dilemma.”

Catch this week’s episode of The Great British Bakeoff today at 8pm on BBC2.