The Great British Bake Off made a triumphant return this week, not only serving up a complex profiterole challenge but also transporting us back to the '70s with an assignment to craft a showstopping gateau.
But host Alison Hammond couldn't hide her shock when she asked contestant Dylan Bachelet about his age and he simply replied "2004", prompting her startled reaction: "No!", followed by "Oh my god, everyone is so young in here!".
Viewers flocked to X – the social media channel previously known as Twitter – to express their surprise at Dylan's tender age of just 20. One tweet read: "Dylan is in another league! And only 20? ! ? #GBBO". Another enthused: "It's actually ridiculous how incredible Dylan is at 20. He is going to have a sensational career #GBBO", while another chimed in with: "Dylan from #GBBO is 20? !" For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter
Following the on-air revelation, further comments poured in such as: "The SHOCK when Dylan revealed he was born in 2004", alongside musings like: "Dylan being born in 2004 makes me feel so old."
Retail assistant Dylan from Buckinghamshire, who spent a gap year traversing Southeast Asia, has quite the blend of backgrounds with an Indian mother and a Japanese-Belgian father. This rich heritage clearly influences his baking, as he enjoys infusing his concoctions with a blend of cultural flavours, reports Gloucestershire Live.
When he's not in the kitchen, Dylan indulges in skateboarding and has a knack for building 90s computers, restoring vintage cars, or painting – a passion influenced by his artistically inclined mother. He even customises t-shirts with Japanese-inspired artwork. His culinary style is an elegant blend of Japanese pastry flavours experienced on his travels and French patisserie techniques, inspired by experts he follows online.
During his visit to see Sumayah, a rising star in this year's baking competition and the second-youngest participant at 19, the two shared a gastronomic journey through her university city of Liverpool before venturing to Lancaster. Dylan took to Instagram to share his experience: "We set out with a quest to try some great bakeries and collect bread. We also went to Lancaster Castle. Once we got home, we got to baking."
In jest, he spoke of his visit: "Sumayah's apple tree produces some of the best apples I've had. It was a great couple of days but I'm still here, kept hostage in Sumayah's cellar, with her abundant collection of 20+ year-old jams, they taste alright once you remove the mould."
