Shocking start to Great British Bake Off with contestant's early departure

The 15th series of the Channel 4 baking show begins tonight

The latest series of the Great British Bake Off kicks off with a number of firsts - including an inaugural 'Hollywood handshake' in the opening recipe and a baker exiting the tent after just one day due to illness.

The 15th series gets underway with a commendable performance from the twelve bakers, with one even receiving a handshake from judge Paul Hollywood within the first half hour of the show during the signature challenge. Hollywood jests that he was "holding back", but in truth, it's one of the earliest signs of approval for a baker the Channel 4 series has ever witnessed.

However, not everything goes according to plan for everyone, as on the second day of filming, one baker is noticeably absent from the tent. Alison discloses to the other bakers that one contestant is feeling under the weather and they are absent for the remainder of the episode, leaving 11 bakers vying to avoid elimination.

A source from the show reveals: "The baker was gutted to miss out on the second day but they weren't feeling up to it and so they had to sit it out."

The show then throws another curveball as bakers are also given cake to consume before the first-ever 'taste and bake' challenge, reports the Mirror.

Co-host Alison Hammond announces: "Each week the bakers will face a gingham-clad secret second challenge but this time there's an extra surprise awaiting them."

Noel Fielding adds: "This is a taste and bake challenge. You have five minutes to inspect your cake and then you have to recreate it with no recipe."

Bakers are given the chance to measure and taste the cake before attempting to recreate it themselves. However, this task proves more challenging than the first, with one contestant branding their attempt a "disaster" and another describing theirs as "horrific".

Regardless of the outcome on the show, 44 year old palliative care assistant Nelly will be seen beaming throughout her appearance. Married and a mother of two, Nelly's journey began with her father in Slovakia, followed by studies in nursing in Austria, leading to her current life.

During an exchange with presenter Noel, she gushes: "You are the top, the number one. I love you the most. I love your humour and half of the humour I don't even understand."

To which Noel humorously responds: "I don't either."