Ahead of The Great British Bake Off semi-final, Jeananne Craig reveals the show-stopping moments of the series so far

After weeks of proofing, kneading, folding and drizzling, and one unforgettable moment of melting, The Great British Bake Off final is almost upon us.

There have been triumphs, tears, and a teenage baking prodigy. Not to mention very boozy doughnuts and - much to Mary Berry's horror - some shop-bought fondant icing.

Now, with the timer ticking for the final batch of contestants, we take a look back at the stiff-peaked highs and soggy-bottomed lows of series five.

BINGATE

Never before has a retro dessert dish been front page news, or a bin had its own hashtag on Twitter. A cold war broke out in episode four, when Diana was shown removing Iain's lovingly prepared ice-cream from the freezer during the Baked Alaska showstopper task. The bearded baker dumped his retro dish in the nearest dustbin and stormed out of the tent, and the nation was left reeling in shock. In the furore that followed, Watters found himself on Newsnight, while 69-year-old Diana claimed she had been stitched up by bad editing. The whole drama made last year's 'Custardgate' (when Howard Middleton's custard was accidentally used by another contestant) look like a storm in a trifle bowl.

Iain Watters 

DIANA'S EXIT

At the height of the Bingate debacle, it also emerged that Diana had left the show. The home baker revealed she hadn't "wimped out" and quit over the controversy, but had in fact suffered a bad fall. Diana's doctor even entered the fray, writing a letter to a national newspaper to confirm her account. Dr Kieran Redman said: "Not only has she been unfairly accused of wrongdoing by the media but she has lost her senses of taste and smell, due to a freak accident. In my view, if ever there were a reason not to take part in a reality TV show, here is a sound one."

A FONDANT FAREWELL

As crimes against humanity go, buying ready-made fondant icing isn't high up on most people's lists. But when Enwezor revealed he was using the shop-bought variety for his rocket showstopper in Biscuit Week, Mary couldn't hide her disgust (despite the baking queen previously admitting she buys filo and puff pastry from the supermarket...). Sure enough, Enwezor didn't make it through to the next round.

NORMAN'S SIMPLE PLEASURES

From his farthing biscuits to his unadorned Zula boats at dawn, retired Merchant Navy radio operator Norman Calder was delightfully no-nonsense. While other contestants were faffing around with gold leaf and working against the clock to add Heston Blumenthal-esque trimmings to their creations, our Norman stuck to what he did best: plain, honest bakes. Until episode five, that is, when he heeded the judges' calls to be more exotic and threw some pesto and lavender into the mix. It wasn't enough to save him sadly, but amateur potter Norman isn't one to mope. He's joined Twitter and has already notched up more than 12,000 followers.

MARVELLOUS MARTHA

While other teenagers are busy sulking in their bedrooms or taking their 200th selfie of the day, you'll find Martha making chocolate ganache chess pieces and injecting home-made doughnuts with passion fruit curd. The 18-year-old prodigy started baking aged seven, and managed to juggle competing on Bake Off with studying for her AS Level exams. She also displayed a healthy disdain for Paul Hollywood's finicky comments, which she channelled into bashing a rolling pin or pounding some bread dough. We predict great things from this rising star.

TRAILBLAZER

We only had eyes for one creation during Pastry Week, and it wasn't the contestants' eclairs or pasties. No, the real star of week seven was Mary Berry's stork print jacket. This brightly coloured M&S bomber set the screen alight, and sold out hours after appearing on the show. Other notable jackets included The Berry's hot pink biker jacket in Pies and Tarts Week, and her snazzy floral blazer in the Desserts episode.

MEL AND SUE'S INNUENDO

From dough balls to hot baps, no baked good is safe from Mel and Sue's pun-loving clutches. This series, it seems the pair have taken the smut to new levels, telling the wholesome contestants to "pop Mary's cherry... in the oven", and to "stop nuzzling your princess [cakes]". Some viewers took exception to the Carry On-style gags, and a handful even wrote to the BBC to complain. But after the European episode, Sue insisted the criticism didn't bother her, claiming: "It's the European Parliament's ruling on our "Dutch" accents I'm dreading..."

"THE MALE JUDGE"

It's takes a brave baker to stand up to Paul Hollywood, but Yorkshire-born Nancy isn't afraid to challenge the blue-eyed assassin's criticisms. When Paul - brilliantly referred to by Nancy as "the male judge" when his name slipped her memory - questioned her use of the microwave to prove her dough, she replied: "Well, needs must". As for her irregular coloured doughnuts? "They all look all right to me."

COCKTAIL HOUR

Remember Mary's look of glee when she spied Luis' boozy, cocktail-themed doughnuts? The "everything in moderation" mantra she normally applies to cake-eating went out the tent window when she was presented with a tray-load of the Baileys-laced treats. And was it just us, or did everyone in the judging tent look a bit glassy-eyed after trying out the potent concoctions? Like the cats who got the Irish cream...

The Great British Bake Off final airs on BBC One on Wednesday, October 8.