Hipster musician leaves Bake Off tent after Black Forest bungle

Professional musician Stuart Henshall admitted he was disappointed in himself after becoming the first contestant to be sent home from this year's The Great British Bake Off.

The 35-year-old hipster baker was eliminated from the BBC cooking competition tonight after failing to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry with his experimental take on a Black Forest Gateau, which he made using beetroot. But he doesn't plan to adopt their more traditional recipes in the future.

Henshall said: "In the future I will make Black Forest Gateau my way - in the show I covered it in Italian meringue and I put beetroot in it. Maybe I should have made it in more a traditional way for Mary, she is awesome and I have followed her recipes for years and Paul's but hey, I'm not that traditional myself. They are both inspirational, and my personal heroes - even if they didn't like my cake! "

He admitted: "My worst moment was definitely being the first to go out, after the excitement of getting there; somebody has to go first and overall it has been a great experience, without a doubt.

"I felt disappointed in myself initially after leaving in the first episode, as I felt I didn't perform as well as I could. I just hope I don't disappoint people in my life - but it's onwards and upwards!"

Henshall got off on the wrong foot by giving his signature bake Madeira cake a thick caramel glaze which stuck Hollywood's teeth together, and the judge told him, "The flavours are all wrong really."

He also struggled in the technical challenge with several failed attempts to make the caramel for his walnuts. His decoration of one solitary walnut prompted Berry to comment: "I've got a feeling there may have been a disaster".

And his showstopper was not enough to save him, despite fellow contestant Dorret Conway being sure she would be going home when her gateau failed to set, leaving a collapsed mess on a cake stand, and the 53-year-old accountant from Preston in tears.

Despite getting the boot after just one week, Henshall wonders if he will be recognised for his distinctive style.

He said: "It will be weird if I am recognised, I have been known from my band, but to be seen in such a different light will be very new and exciting. If I don't wear my trilby perhaps I won't be recognised!!

Marie, a 66-year-old Scot who has lived in Paris was crowned the first star baker of the series. Hollywood declared her Madeira cake "perfect".