The Truth About Jairzeno From The Great British Baking Show: Season 12
Another season of "The Great British Baking Show" (a.k.a. "The Great British Bake Off" in the U.K.) is in the books, with Giuseppe Dell'Anno taking home the coveted glass cake stand. But before Dell'Anno faced off against Chigs Parmar and Crystelle Pereira in the final, GBBO said goodbye to Jairzeno, a 51-year-old Londoner with a day job in finance. The most disappointing outcome for any competitor is early elimination, before they get a chance to show all their talents. Unfortunately, this was the ending for Jairzeno, who was eliminated in the second episode of Season 12.
The downfall for the baker was "Biscuit Week." Contestants in the Showstopper round were challenged to construct a 3-D replica of their favorite childhood toy with interactive elements to the cookies. Jairzeno crafted a gingerbread sailing ship, which, he conceded, was "quite basic" compared to the other edible toys (via Digital Spy). Moreover, with its broken mast and messy paint job, Jairzeno admitted to judges Prue Lieth and Paul Hollywood that his creation was "more of a shipwreck than a ship" (via The Mirror).
Jairzeno's very brief time on the show, however, was enough to earn the respect of GBBO fans. "I ruddy love Jairzeno," one tweeted. Before his elimination, another wrote, "Nailing my colours to team #jairzeno and team #jurgen already (via Twitter). And over on the Bake-Off subreddit, a Redditor commented, "Oh Jairzeno, you smilling (sic) bundle of creativity. I loved that boat and I loved your chilled attitude in the face of adversity!"
Laid-back Jairzeno sought more flavorful baking
While his career is in finance, Jairzeno discovered his passion lies in baking. "Baking is like breathing!" he says on GBBO's official website. He took up baking in 2014, after encountering one too many desserts that looked a lot better than they actually tasted. Believing he could do better, Jairzeno, who emigrated from Trinidad & Tobago to the U.K. in 2006, learned to bake. He loves to try new flavor combinations, often incorporating guava and Caribbean spices into his creations.
Despite his early elimination, in a letter to would-be contestants posted to Twitter, Jairzeno expressed no regrets about competing. "If you are thinking about applying for the GBBO please just do it," he penned. "You will have a once in your lifetime unforgettable experience." Despite his ambition, Jairzeno doesn't take himself too seriously. He wrote: "Mistakes will always happen, I laughed at mine you will laugh at yours too."
Jairzeno is also a runner, and has competed in half-marathons across Europe as well as the London Marathon. He and his partner Graeme are pup parents to Maxi, a retired greyhound with his own Instagram account. Maxi appears to love naps and nature walks with his dads. The shelter that Jairzeno and Graeme adopted Maxi from sent a sweet message on Facebook during Jairzeno's time on "GBBO." They posted a photo of the couple with Maxi, writing: "We'd like to wish Jairzinho (sic) the very best of luck on this year's Great British Bake Off!"