Iain Watters tweeted this picture of himself in his kitchen with the hashtag #bakingbad

A bearded baker from Belfast has been brought down by a Baked Alaska. Iain Watters had a meltdown – as did his ice cream – after a tricky dessert challenge on The Great British Bake Off.

The 31-year-old lost his cool and binned his dessert to become the fourth contestant to leave the BBC1 show.

After Watters tossed his molten mess in the trash, he stormed out of the tent, leaving Mary Berry, the doyen of British baking, in a state of shock at his behaviour.

Fellow baker Diana had inadvertently left Iain's sesame seed ice cream out of the freezer as the bakers struggled to perfect their Baked Alaskas in 25 degree heat.

While Berry described construction engineer Iain as a "remarkable baker", she disapproved of his temper tantrum, saying, "I know he did it on the spur of the moment but I think that's sort of unacceptable."

Iain, who now lives in London, accepted that he had let his "moment of madness" affect him in a wrong way, with Paul Hollywood describing him as "passionate" about his unusual flavour combinations.

Watters admitted he couldn't stand the heat – and had to get out of the kitchen.

"My worst moment has to be the 'bin-cident'. I didn't handle the pressure in the tent as well as everyone else," he said.

"It was a very hot day with everyone fighting for space in the freezers, and I didn't feel that I coped with the situation very well. I am passionate as a personality and a baker, so I do tend to get frustrated when the bakes don't go well, and I will have to learn to deal with that."

Talking about his experiences in the competition, he said: "I tried to refine my skills to please Paul and Mary with presentation and flavours but I tend not to go down the traditional route, as my style is more rustic and laid back.

"My best moment was the plaited loaf in week three, because everything went so well. I got the timing right and Paul liked the flavour and the bake."

One of the all-time classics, the Baked Alaska consists of three basic components – sponge base, ice cream and meringue.

However, the challenge is to sufficiently cover the ice cream with meringue to insulate it from the heat of the oven while it bakes.

Construction manager Iain also caused heated debate on social media due to the bushy beard he sported, which prompted some viewers to call on him to wear a 'beard net' in the kitchen.

He revealed that since being on the show he has been recognised in the street – more for his luxuriant beard than his baking – and has even had a few marriage proposals on Twitter.

For now he is determined to stick with his work in the building industry – despite his workmates pestering him for the odd Victoria sponge or carrot cake.

Watters will appear on the Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice tomorrow at 9pm on BBC2.

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Factfile

Iain's dishes: Hits and Misses

Apricot and Basil cake – Miss

Cherry Cake – Hit

Lemon drizzle cakes – Miss

Za'atar and fig biscuits – Miss

Florentines – Miss

Wild West biscuit design – Hit

Cranberry and Walnut rye bread rolls – Hit

Ciabatta – Miss

Moroccan plait – Hit

Chocolate lime and raspberry fondant – Hit

Tiramisu cake – Miss

Baked Alaska – Binned

Belfast Telegraph