**The Great British Baking Show’s “Meringue Week” Haunted by a Terrifying Specter of the Past**
For his Vacherin Glacé Showstopper during “Meringue Week,” Belfast baker Iain Ross channeled one of The Great British Baking Show’s most notorious moments involving another Northern Irish Iain.
**Spoilers for The Great British Baking Show “Meringue Week,” now streaming on Netflix**
In a bold and cheeky move, this season’s Iain recreated the infamous “bin-gate” Baked Alaska scandal from 2014 in an attempt to exorcise any remaining demons in the tent. His daring homage nearly got him eliminated, but it also served as a fantastic throwback to one of the show’s earliest breakout moments.
If you’ve only watched The Great British Baking Show on Netflix, you might have been baffled by Iain’s plan to make a meringue trash bin for judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. To fully appreciate this clever nod, it helps to understand the original “bin-gate” incident.
### What Was “Bin-Gate”?
You have to go back to 2014, when The Great British Bake Off made its modest American debut on PBS under the title *The Great British Baking Show Season 1.* This version featured judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, with hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc. Contestants included Martha Collinson, Chetna Makan, Luis Troyano, Richard Burr, and eventual winner Nancy Birtwhistle.
During “Desserts Week,” bakers were tasked with creating a spectacular Baked Alaska Showstopper—a dessert featuring layers of ice cream and cake covered by meringue. The catch? The ice cream layers have to remain frozen throughout preparation.
On a particularly hot summer day, two of the five refrigerators in the tent were broken. Amid the chaos, contestant Diana Beard briefly took fellow baker Iain Watters’s Baked Alaska out of the fridge to make room for hers and inadvertently left Iain’s dessert sitting out on the bench. Although producers claimed it was only exposed to warm air for about a minute, the ice cream began to melt.
Frustrated, Iain Watters tossed his failed Baked Alaska into “the bin” and, when it came time for judging, presented an empty tray alongside the trash can. This dramatic gesture led to his elimination.
### The Aftermath of “Bin-Gate”
The fallout was swift and severe. Diana Beard faced significant online abuse from British fans, despite Iain defending her. Unfortunately, Diana later withdrew from the competition due to a fall at home.
“Bin-gate” was a messy episode that contrasted sharply with the usually warm and supportive spirit of The Great British Baking Show. To this day, “bin-gate” remains closely associated with the name “Iain” on Google searches related to the show.
### Iain Ross’s Homage to “Bin-Gate”
Fast forward to 2025. This season’s Iain, known for his playful humor, looked to the past and the other Iain’s infamous ice cream and meringue disaster for inspiration.
Recognizing that a Vacherin Glacé is very similar in style to a Baked Alaska—just French and slightly fancier—Iain Ross borrowed the flavor profile from the original “bin-gate” bake. He crafted his meringue into the shape of a trash bin, cheekily acknowledging the notorious moment.
Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith appreciated the creative concept, but were less impressed with the execution. Though they liked the rough, “bin-gate” inspired look, they criticized the flavor combination, finding the chocolate and coffee ice creams clashed on the palate.
Iain cleverly deflected the criticism, joking that the flavors were borrowed from the other Iain, so the blame couldn’t fall on him.
### The Outcome
Despite the judges’ feedback, Iain managed to avoid elimination. Instead, 59-year-old hairdresser Lesley Holloway was sent home after struggling in all three challenges, while Iain had impressed by winning the soufflé Technical challenge.
### The Takeaway
If Iain Ross’s “bin-gate” inspired bake has taught us anything about The Great British Baking Show, it’s probably this: if you’re a Northern Irish baker named Iain, presenting Paul Hollywood with a trash bin at judging might not be the safest path to victory—but it sure makes for memorable television.
https://decider.com/2025/10/17/what-is-bin-gate-how-the-great-british-baking-shows-iain-exorcised-a-ghost-from-the-tents-past-with-his-vacherin-glace-showstopper/