Emotional closing montage sets off The Great British Bake Off audience

The Great British Bake Off not only produced the closest ever final, it delivered a closing montage that reduced many in the viewing audience to tears.

Was it the difficult year we've had or just its simple brilliance?

The montage depicted this year's Great British Bake Off contestants in the months after filming had concluded on the series, tugging on the heartstrings of Great British Bake Off fans young and old.

The tribute to Luis Troyano, a Bake Off contestant in series five who tragically died this year was one trigger for viewers.

An emotional clip in the montage featured finalist Dave cradling his newborn son, Ronnie.

Another Bake Off fan echoed the feeling of many on social media: "That final montage on #GBBO just had me in floods of tears. Maybe it was simply the release of all that tension during such a challenging year. Thank you for making the last couple of months that little bit easier & more enjoyable. Bake Off was like a tonic for the soul! #BakeOff".

It managed to reduced the hardest hearts in the audience to quivering wrecks.

This fan, for example: "Me every year: "Bake Off isn't as good this year, I'm over it."

Also me: Reduced to a weeping mess by the end of series montage.

Even TV industry insiders were affected by the closing sequence, like former Coronation Street star Wendi Peters.

Even though the Great British Bake Off delivered the closest final in the history of the show, Edinburgh University student Peter Sawkins emerged the winner by the slimmest of margins, becoming at 20 the youngest ever champion and also the first Scottish winner.

So the tent has been packed away once again. We hope that it will emerge undamaged by whatever is in front of us over the next months and it can be put up in its rightful place – and schedule – in 2021.

While you’re waiting visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight, or check out our guide to new TV shows 2020 to find out what's airing this autumn and beyond.