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'Great British Baking Show' contestant hits back at 'hateful' messages after struggling on this week's episode

Pascale Mondesir   

'Great British Baking Show' contestant hits back at 'hateful' messages after struggling on this week's episode

A recent elimination on "The Great British Baking Show" led to an influx of online harassment for a current contestant.

On Tuesday's episode of the series, known as "The Great British Bake Off" in the UK, George Aristidou struggled to make successful dishes throughout Pastry Week. His missteps put him in danger of being sent home, but his fellow season-12 contestant Amanda Geo was ultimately eliminated from the tent.

After the episode aired, Aristidou said he started receiving negative messages on social media from fans who didn't agree with the judges' decision.

Aristidou responded to critical fans online, reminding them to be respectful despite their strong opinions

According to screenshots obtained by Entertainment Daily, Aristidou thanked his supporters in an Instagram Story after this week's episode.

"I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all the kind-hearted people who are supporting ALL the bakers with true bake-off spirit! You guys are amazing," he wrote.

And he called out others who were making crueler comments.

"To the minority who feel it's ok to privately message hateful opinions to make people feel bad about themselves is not cool," the post continued. "Can I just remind you it's a baking show that we all auditioned for and you do not have to go out of your way to spread hate."

He ended his troll takedown with the hashtags "#bekind," "#spreadlovenothate," and "#whodiedandmadeyouthejudge."

Despite struggling in challenges throughout the season, the baker's positive personality has delighted many fans

Though this is the first time Aristidou felt the need to address negative comments after making it through to the next episode, he's no stranger to baking dilemmas.

Throughout his time on the show, the baker has struggled with some of the challenges, to the point where he thought he was going to be eliminated during German Week. Fans seemed to agree, with some expressing their frustration on Twitter when plant-based baker Freya Cox went home instead of Aristidou.

But he often joins in on making fun of himself, and his antics on the show have delighted many fans, who appear to love his playful character.

George Aristidou and representatives for "The Great British Baking Show" didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Aristidou isn't the first 'Great British Baking Show' contestant to deal with online harassment

Although "The Great British Baking Show" is beloved for its heart-warming, positive energy, this isn't the first time online bullying has overshadowed the impressive bakes.

Earlier this season, Cox was criticized by fans online when they found out she was a vegan baker who loves to ride horses, which some saw as an unethical hobby.

Season-eight baker Stacey Hart also told Insider in April that she can't even watch the show anymore after being bullied during her season.

"It brings back memories of sadness because I had some horrible trolling after that really, really affected me and my family," she said.

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