Diana Beard (2024)

Diana Beard is a baker who appeared in series five of The Great British Bake Off.

Diana is one of the most remembered contestants from Series 5. She grew up on a farm and joined the WI when she was just 12 years old. She met her husband Malcolm when she was 16 and they are still happily married.^[1]

Diana found herself at the center of the "Bingate" controversy, where she was accused of sabotage after removing her fellow contestant Iain Watters' dessert from the freezer to make space for her own. He was eliminated from the show by Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry after throwing the molten pudding in the bin, a decision which was met by a huge public outcry, as many felt Watters had been treated unfairly, and many directed the blame at Diana. BBC came to Diana's defense, stating: "Diana removing Iain's ice-cream from the freezer for less than a minute was in no way responsible for Iain's departure". Watters then challenged BBC's account.^[2]

The controversy deepened when Diana dropped out of the competition soon after due to a fall that left her without a sense of smell or taste. Since the show, Diana continues to cook (with the help of her husband and cousin's senses) and is in demand to give cook talks and demonstrations.^[3]

Bakes[]

Episode 1: Cakes

• Signature (Swiss Roll): Mum's Sunday Tea Lemon Curd Swiss Roll [1]
• Technical Place (Cherry Cake): 5th
• Showstopper (36 Classic Miniature British Cakes): Chocolate Ganache Surprises

Episode 2: Biscuits

• Signature (36 Savory Biscuits): Parmesan Triangles
• Technical Place (Florentines): 7th
• Showstopper (3D Biscuit Scene): Express (First Class)

Episode 3: Bread

• Signature (12 Rye Bread Rolls): Rustic Picnic Rolls
• Technical Place (Ciabatta): 7th
• Showstopper (Filled Centerpiece Loaf): Sharing Savoury Pinwheel

Episode 4: Desserts

• Signature (8 Self-Saucing Puddings): Orange and Lemon Curd Pots, [2]
• Technical Place (Tiramisu Cake): 9th
• Showstopper (Baked Alaska): Raspberry Ripple Baked Alaska Swan

References[]

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