Paul Hollywood has jumped to the defence of Great British Bake Off hopeful Laura Adlington after she was viciously trolled on social media following the exit of fan favourite Hermine.
Laura, 31, has been receiving criticism after she was spared alongside Dave, 31, and student Peter, 20, while Hermine was sent home.
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Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Paul wrote: "I’ve heard of some sad people trolling Laura, it’s disgusting behaviour.
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"Those of you who may not be aware how Bake Off works or new to the series may have missed what we have ALWAYS done on Bake Off judging.
"Each week stands on its own!! It never matters what any baker has done in previous weeks. Even if you win 4/5 star bakers and then have a bad week you will be at risk of going sadly. It’s the rule that has been in place for 11 years!!"
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© Photo: Channel 4Laura has received criticism for remaining in the competition over Hermine
He added: "Also I ONLY give out handshakes in signature not in Showstopper or technical, there was one exception 3 years ago… STOP trolling any of the bakers!!
"Remember Prue and I can actually smell and eat the bakes… Bring on the final X."
Touched by his words, Laura replied: "Thank you Paul that really means a lot."
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© Photo: Channel 4Fans were devastated to see Hermine leave the tent
Earlier on Wednesday, Laura also took to social media to address the backlash she received over Hermine's elimination on Tuesday's semi-finals.
She wrote: "It's easy to sit there on your sofa and judge. But I am a real person with feelings. Please take a moment to consider your words before you judge someone you've never met and whose food you've never tasted.
"It's ok to be sad your favourite person didn't go through, but please remember it's not my fault. I don't make the decisions. GBBO is all about kindness and I haven't seen much of that on here."
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