Bake Off: Shropshire's Nicky into next round even after her chocolate beaver fails to impress

Nicky, aged 52, who is from the Market Drayton area, was surprised that she made it through to the next round of the cookery contest at the expense of the likeable Amos.

The much-loved Channel Four programme kicked off on Tuesday night, with 12 bakers tying on their aprons in earnest.

Judge Prue Leith opened the before the watershed show with the line, "Tell us about your beaver" but the audience had to wait until the end of the show to find out the full details.

It was clear from the start that Nicky, a former cabin crew member who originally hails from Dundee, was struggling to capture the imagination of the judges.

Each contestant was given three baking tasks and Nicky, who moved to the Midlands to be close to her family, was struggling to impress from the start.

Her blood orange Swiss roll was damned with faint praise by judge Paul Hollywood who said he did not think it was awful.

The second challenge involved the creation of the Bake Off iconic chocolate raspberry-covered two layer chocolate cake. Shropshire's Nicky finished in 10th place in that challenge.

But it was in the showstopper challenge to create an animal cake that Nicky came into her hilarious own. She created a cartoon-style beaver named Norman.

And it was certainly a show stopper, creating howls of laughter among her fellow contestants and judges. Judges said that the chocolate creature was 'bone dry'.

At the end of the show, Nicky was surprised to survive and move on to the next round at the expense of the likeable Amos.

She said: "I am shocked that I am here and sad for Amos. What a lovely man he is."

Series 14 of the show is set to continue on Channel 4 next week.

Before the show screened, Nicky said: “I never let myself believe that it might actually happen, in case my amazing dream was well and truly shattered.

“Then when the phone rang and I was told the news I couldn’t believe that dreams really can come true and can become the most amazing reality.

“It was a massive ‘pinch me’ moment that still doesn’t seem real.”

The show is presented for the first time this year by Birmingham-born Alison Hammond, alongside Noel Fielding.