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‘The Great British Bake Off’: Saku Chandrasekara survives elimination

The hit Channel 4 show, which is usually shown at 8 pm on a Tuesday night, was instead aired on Wednesday to accommodate the England versus Italy football match.

‘The Great British Bake Off’: Saku Chandrasekara survives elimination

The Great British Bake Off participant Saku Chandrasekara is safe. The 50-year-old intelligence analyst, who works for Herefordshire Council, was in danger of leaving the show after struggling during chocolate week.

She survived as judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith decided that no one would face elimination this week because fellow contestant Tasha fell ill midway through the episode and needed medical attention.


The hit Channel 4 show, which is usually shown at 8 pm on a Tuesday night, was instead aired on Wednesday to accommodate the England versus Italy football match.

That is because Channel 4 holds the broadcasting rights for the Three Lions' European qualifiers.

Last week, Mrs Chandrasekara won the technical challenge in bread week as she impressed Judge Paul Hollywood with her Devonshire split bun with jam and cream inside.

"The bun itself was excellent, you've got a nice tension in there and the flavour in the mouth was good," he said.

"I think you did really well."

Mrs Chandrasekara was born in Sri Lanka and places the traditional flavours of her heritage at the heart of her baking. This includes the curry spices, which she claims make for the best pie fillings, while liberal sprinklings of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg find their way into her sweeter bakes.

At her family home in the South Asian country, Mrs Chandrasekara didn’t have an oven until she was 18, so she turned to baking only when she moved with her husband to the UK in 2003.

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Dhee on staying rooted, making ‘honest music’ and Tamil music’s global rise

The singer believes listeners worldwide are searching for “new sounds and new stories”

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Dhee on staying rooted, making ‘honest music’ and Tamil music’s global rise

Highlights

  • Dhee says Vari Vari emerged from a deeply personal and reflective period in her life
  • The singer believes listeners worldwide are searching for “new sounds and new stories”
  • She says remaining rooted in her identity has always been central to her music
  • Dhee hopes to release more albums and perform more frequently in the years ahead

A song shaped by reflection rather than intention

For Dhee, Vari Vari was not born out of a deliberate attempt to move in a new direction. Instead, it arrived during a period of reflection that naturally began influencing the music she was making. Speaking exclusively, the singer described how many of her recent songs have mirrored experiences unfolding in her own life, making them feel more personal than planned.

That emotional undercurrent eventually found its way into Vari Vari. Conversations with lyricist Vivek (Vivek Anna) slowly shaped the track, which grew from discussions around love and human connection. Rather than following a formula, the song evolved organically and became a reflection of thoughts she had already been carrying.

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