Northern Ireland

Co Tyrone baker fails to win over Great British Bake Off judges

Imelda McCarron from Co Tyrone was the first contestant to leave the show
Imelda McCarron from Co Tyrone was the first contestant to leave the show Imelda McCarron from Co Tyrone was the first contestant to leave the show

A CO Tyrone baker may have failed to win over the judges of the Great British Bake Off, but she appeared to have won over viewers.

Amateur baker Imelda McCarron was the first contestant of the new series to leave the tent.

The 33-year-old, who works as a Fermanagh and Omagh District Council countryside recreation officer, was among the new group of 12 hopefuls to take on three baking challenges.

The Great British Bake Off returned to TV screens on Tuesday with an average of 6.1 million viewers - a slight drop from last year.

The former BBC show relaunched in 2017 for the first time on Channel 4 amid a blaze of publicity, when it notched up an average of 6.5 million.

But Ms McCarron, who learned to cook and bake with her mother, failed to rise to the occasion and was dumped from the show by judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.

She said she had entered the competition "as a challenge obviously for the baking, but also to have the confidence of meeting new people".

However, the baker, whose notable Tyrone accent stood out to viewers, won many fans on social media.

One said: "Poor Imelda, wanted to be listening to her Irish accent every week", while another added: "Sorry to see Imelda go. Her’s was the story I wanted to hear the most".

Another said: "Awwwww Imelda I thought you would win!! Your oaty biscuits looked so yummy! They made a mistake".