Not everyone was thrilled with Matt’s joke.
Channel 4’s the Great British Bake Off has found its stride with dedicated fans tuning in every week to watch the show – and indeed to share their opinions on Twitter.
And while the community love sharing memes from the show and reactions to eliminations, last night a number of fans took to Twitter to share that they were less than impressed with comments host Matt Lucas made about gluten.
On last night’s episode, the theme was free-from, which saw our amateur bakers deliver treats that were made without a number of staples from the baking shelf – namely dairy and gluten.
For their showstopper, Prue and Paul tasked the contestants with the challenge of creating a “visually spectacular gluten-free celebration cake”.
The brief, as co-host Noel Fielding explained, required the cakes to be “beautifully decorated” and consist of two tiers.
At this, Matt donned a melodramatic voice and said: “Like the two tears I shed for my gluten brothers who’ve been cast aside for the wants and vagaries of fashion.”
Many viewers, however, didn’t take too kindly to Matt’s joke, and took to Twitter to share their frustrations.
Ok please stop saying Gluten Free diets are a ‘Fashion’!!!
Coeliac disease is not a fashion, it is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself after Gluten ingestion!
I’m sick of this bullshit! If I could eat gluten I would!
#GBBO— LyVa (@lyndsayva) November 9, 2021
Some fans were irritated that Matt made it seem like eating gluten-free is a trend or a fashion choice, rather than a dietary requirement for those with coeliac disease.
One fan wrote: “Coeliac diseases is a part of life I accept. I don’t want people to hear him say it’s a fad or a choice.”
Another tweeted: “Coeliacs have to eat gluten-free out of medical necessity, not choice or fashion.”
Cooking shows really need to stop referring to gluten free food as 'fashionable'. It's not a health fad, it's essential for people with coeliac disease. DO BETTER.#GBBO
— Dr Harriet Fletcher (@drharrietfletch) November 9, 2021
A third said: “Dairy free and gluten free aren’t always choices, people have allergies, and if it is a choice, so what?!”
Indeed, a gluten-free diet is required of those who experience coeliac disease. The condition sees the patient suffer from diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating if they consume gluten.
