Terry Hartill might have left the ‘Bake Off’ tent in Spice Week, but that hasn’t stopped him from capturing the nation’s heart.
Now, the 56-year-old ‘Great British Bake Off’ contestant has penned a letter to thank fans for their kindness and support after the nation learned of his wife’s death.
The retired air steward from the West Midlands broke down during his exit interview on the show, which aired back in September, admitting that it helped him cope with his grief. Terry’s wife Joanna died from cancer a year ago, aged 52.
Hartill said of the show: “There wasn’t anything to fill the void for a very long time, so it’s given me a focus.”
Since his exit from ‘Bake Off’, Terry said he has been inundated with kind words from fans and, to coincide with the show’s final episode tonight, Channel 4 decided to share a letter of thanks he had penned to “everybody who has supported me and my family”.
“We are so overwhelmed by the huge response we have received,” Terry wrote in the handwritten letter. “And I am particularly grateful for all your kind words online and on social media.
“It has been a difficult time since the loss of my wife and when my daughter applied for the show on my behalf we never could have expected the wonderful reaction that we have experienced and continue to receive.”
He went on to discuss some of the challenges he faced while on the show: “In the tent it was tough and difficult at times (a melting Eiffel Tower for example) I thank you all for seeing the vision!”
And he nodded towards the pals he’s made along the way: “It has been so very enjoyable and I have made some wonderful lifelong friends.
“I am very excited for the future and again would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for their love and encouragement.”
Terry’s discovered a love of baking when cooking with his grandmother as a small child. His dad taught him how to bake bread and make pastry when he was 10-years-old.
It was his daughters, however, who finally encouraged him to take the plunge and apply for Bake Off. We’re glad they did.
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