The Great British Bake Off bids its final farewell to the Beeb tonight, as finalists Andrew, Jane and Candice battle it out to win the show. From bingate to salty rum babas, Lynne Mortimer reflects on the best moments of the BAFTA award-winnning programme.

Tonight, which features meringues again, is the final of the BBC's seventh and final series of the reality show that has delighted the nation. Next time, it will be on Channel 4. Sad, but, I suppose it was inevitable. Also cause for regret is that there will be no Mary Berry, brimming with happiness at the prospect of a boozy cake and no Mel and Sue who have so often offered their shoulders to cry on.

For me, it hasn't been a classic series and now I'm wondering if, perhaps, all the best cakes have been baked, all the cutaway cute rabbit shots have been screened and thus it is, after all, time to move on. There will, however, be Christmas specials on the BBC to sustain us during the interregnum. Perhaps the most gentle of reality shows, Bake Off 's top moments are similarly benign but here are some of the best.

?Who could forget 'bingate' when contestant Iain Watters summarily dumped his baked alaska in the bin after one of his fellow bakers took it out of the freezer. It caused the biggest media storm – well, it was more of a flurry – in the show's history. (2014)

?Another contestant used Howard's custard in their trifle by mistake. She gave her custard to Howard... so that was all right, then. (2013)

?Squirrel with nuts. I'm not sure how to put this delicately but the camera shot of a squirrel in 2011 gave viewers, some felt, an unnecessarily good view of throdent's nether regions.

?In 2010 one contestant used salt instead of sugar in his rum babasAdd to this the piercing blue-eyed Paul Hollywood and his harsh judgement, the sweet Mary Berry who will always find something nice to say... even if it's only: 'Well, it's quite round as it should be,' and the naughty but nice Mel and Sue who deliver double entendre as they hover for cake, and you have a pretty near-perfect formula.

In this series we have had Candice's edible pub and her amazing marzipan peacock... and her pouty lipstick. Jane has been on a weekly emotional roller-coaster and young Andrew? Always edible.Who will win? Hard to call but the guys in the office like Candice.

Goodbye BBC Bake Off. I will miss you.

The Great British Bake Off: BBC1, 8pm