The Dorset woman competing in the Great British Bake Off had a huge success when she was crowned technical champion in last night’s episode.

Nelly, 44, from Dorset works as a Palliative Care Assistant for Marie Curie and is currently competing in Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off.

Episode three of the Channel 4 show saw the return of ‘bread week’ and the mum of two became emotional after coming first in the technical challenge.

As it came to the time to judge Nelly’s bread wreath, Paul Hollywood announced: “I like this, someone’s plaited before.”

Prue Leith said: “I think that’s a lovely texture,” with Paul adding: “Lovely tasting.”

As the tasting came to a close, the judges declared Nelly as the winner of this week’s technical challenge.

Upon her win, Nelly said: “It’s very hard for me to take compliments because all my life I wasn’t good enough, and from Paul, the king of bread, it’s the biggest compliment I could ever have.”

Earlier in the episode, the baker made ‘Ethnic Harmony’ savoury buns which she described as a ‘sweet milky bun with curry inside and coriander and chilli chutney.’

Her dad loved to bake bread, but wasn’t keen on sweet baking, so it was only as an adult, after she had attempted a neighbour’s gingerbread recipe, that Nelly extended her skills.

Nelly grew up with her dad in Slovakia, then moved to Austria to study nursing.

Completely self-taught, Nelly loves adding the flavours of Slovakian cuisine into her bakes, as well as spices representing her husband’s Pakistani heritage – apple and cinnamon are among her favourite ingredients.

The Great British Bake Off sees contestants competing to impress judges Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood across a series of challenges where they will be tasked with baking cakes, biscuits and breads, among other tasty creations, in a bid to be named Bake Off champion.

The showstopper saw the baker make a cornucopia with a poppy seed and orange filling which Paul and Prue branded ‘delicious,’ there was an additional bake which was a sweet cheese, cinnamon and lemon combination wit a walnut and butter crumble and a final onion and potato one.

Upon tasting, Paul simply announced: “Spectacular.”

Prue added: “I think you have done a really good job Nelly.”

Nelly will return next week.

The show which is now in its 15th season will return to TV screens on Tuesday, October 15 at 8pm.