A Bolton church pastor appeared on tonight's The Great British Bake Off.

The popular television programme returned to the nation’s screens tonight and amongst this year’s hopefuls was Lee Banfield.

Unfortunately, he was the first person to be sent home following his efforts in the bake off tent. 

He said: "I'm disappointed to be the first off but I've always enjoyed baking and, at church, I do baking emonstrations."

For his signature bake, he made Lee's St Clement's orange & lemon drizzle cake.

Pulling no punches, judge Paul Hollywood told him: "Flavour is good, texture is awful"

For the technical challenge, the bakers were tasked with making a batch of identical Jaffa cakes. 

But Mary said his efforts did not look like Jaffa cakes. 

For the final challenge - the showstopper - they were tasked with making a mirror glaze cake.  

Judging Lee's strawberry surprise mirror cake, Paul said: "Sometimes simplicity is the way forward, that's taking it a bit too far."

Mr Banfield, who is pastor at Cornerstone Church, in Lord’s Stile Lane, Bromley Cross, took to the bake off tent with 11 other hopefuls and he explained that he got in to baking after a back injury.

Speaking ahead of tonight's launch of the popular BBC One show, he said: “I can remember sitting at the kitchen table and watching my mum bake at home. But boys of my generation didn’t really get involved in actually doing it themselves.

“However, in 1984 I sustained a back injury and found I had lots of time on my hands recuperating at home.

“When I became a little mobile I decided to make a lemon tart for tea as a surprise. That was the start of it all and I’ve been baking ever since.”

The television show is now in its seventh series and Mr Banfield, who is the oldest contest at 67, said he and his wife Dorothy have watched every series.

It was his wife who suggested he sign up after watching Mary Berry’s Christmas Special last December.

He said: “At first I didn’t take the suggestion seriously but with nothing better to do one dark, cold evening a couple of days later, I filled in the application form on line and thought no more of it.”

Having been pastor at the church for five years Mr Banfield has a close relationship with his parishioners and thinks they will all be thrilled he was on the show.

He added: “They all know how much I like baking as I’ve done lots over the years at various church events.

“In fact I plan to do a bake each week the show is running and take them to the Sunday morning services for everyone to enjoy afterwards with a cuppa.”

Jane was named star baker on episode one.