
The Great British Bake Off fans have called out a ‘racist’ joke made in Mexican week, saying it perpetuates harmful stereotypes.
The third installment of the Channel 4 programme, judged by Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, saw the bakers create dishes from the South American country.
The remaining contestants created a pan dulce for The Signature and tacos for The Technical and a tres leches cake for The Showstopper.
Before the amateur pastry chefs set to work in the tent, hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas opened the show with a ‘disappointing’ gag that was made in ‘poor taste.’
Both wearing sombreros and sarapes, the Mighty Boosh actor tells Matt: ‘I don’t feel like we should make Mexican jokes, because people will get upset.’
The Little Britain performer then responds: ‘Not even Juan?’
The joke was poorly received on social media, with many Twitter accounts calling it ‘racist.’
One viewer remarked: ‘I had a moment where I wanted to watch this episode just to see how bad it was. That moment has passed. I’m so incensed that they don’t realise how vile and racist this c**p is. #GBBO.’
Another added: ‘So we are all in agreement that the Mexico episode of the #GBBO was kinda racist, right?’
‘Watching ppl make conchas during Mexican Week on #GBBO with a clenched a*****e,’ an account wrote.
An audience member penned: ‘Mexican week could have been amazing given the pan dulce tradition. Empanadas de calabaza, conchas, orejas, campechanas… Instead they chose to repeat racist stereotypes. Really disappointing. #gbbo.’

A Twitter user said: ‘Mexican Week at #GBBO is in poor taste.’
‘Ye Mexican week was a mess. Please can they leave other cuisines alone. 🫣 Inaccurate and just…. Well. #gbbo,’ a GBBO watcher commented.
Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado, a professor of Mexican cultural studies at Washington University in St. Louis, discussed the episode in an email to NPR.
He said: ‘The fundamental issue is that the episode and its campaign follow a script on Mexican culture that us Mexicans, from either side of the U.S.-Mexico border, see very frequently.
‘The use of cartoonish sarapes and sombreros as props and disguises, the misidentification of Mexican food with the stuff sold in Taco Bell, the borrowing of beloved dishes like tres leches to make versions that have little recognizability to Mexicans, this is something that we see every Cinco de Mayo and every Hispanic Heritage Month.’
The Great British Bake Off continues at 8pm on Tuesday on Channel 4.