Tamal Kumar Ray, who was one of six remaining contestants in the BBC reality television show about making intricate dishes, was last night named "Star Baker" for turning out a near perfect "Victorian raised game pie".

The announcement on the Great British Bake Off was made by the presenter Sue Perkins, who had come hot foot from making her recent documentary on Calcutta for the BBC's India Season.

"The winner is someone used to patience," she said, a play on "patients" since 29-year-old Tamal is a trainee anaesthetist who was born in Hertfordshire.

As recognition dawned on him, he smiled broadly.

After Perkins had given Tamal a friendly hug - "I'm so happy, thank you" he said - he rushed off to do what every good Indian boy does.

From outside the tent pitched in the field where the cookery competition is filmed, he called his mother on his mobile.

"Mum (in England, people don't use the Americanism, 'Mom'), I have won 'Star Baker'," he blurted out.

From the other end could be heard the sound of delighted shrieks - something heard by some nine million viewers.

Three more weeks remain before the winner emerges in the Great British Bake Off - abbreviated to GBBO, and the highest rated on British television with a weekly audience in excess of 9 million.

Tamal, who describes himself as "fuzzy haired doctor and lover of cake", has emerged as a sex symbol on the show. "Some of the lustier tweets have had me crying with laughter!" he admitted on Twitter. "Also, glad my folks aren't on Twitter."

A sample: Cat Turnham, a young woman, tweeted... "There is something oddly sexual about the way Tamal plunges those syringes into his cakes. He can bring me round anytime." Charlotte revealed: "Relationship status: lusting over Tamal."

In the Metro newspaper, Caroline Westbrook reported: " Bake Off contestant Tamal Ray has left viewers swooning - and it's not because of his kitchen skills."

It was because "the ever-popular BBC One show has landed itself a bona fide heart-throb, in the shape of anaesthetist Tamal Ray".

Each week one of the contestants is named "Star Baker" for exceptional performance. This is an achievement which had so far eluded Tamal but on Wednesday night he finally pulled it off.

The seventh episode began inauspiciously for Tamal, though. He dropped an egg which splattered all over the floor. He looked like a naughty boy who had been caught out: "I've made a slight mess." He certainly had.

But after that things went swimmingly for him in a week when the theme was making Victorian recipes, especially ones that Queen Victoria had personally relished.

Tamal used rabbit, pigeon and venison plus minced lamb for his game pie but his secret ingredient was some kind of middle-eastern spice which added delicate flavour without becoming overpowering. It seems the fat in the lamb acted as a binding agent as well as kept the interior of the pie moist.

The second challenge was to make a rich fruit cake but decorate the top in the manner of a tennis court - something Queen Victoria had apparently designed for her own wedding. Tamal came third.

Each week the contestants are required to make a "show stopper" where they are given more or less a free hand.

This week they were instructed to bake a "Charlotte Russe", a jellied custard dessert fenced in by sponge fingers with jelly on top. Its rich fillings might explain why the "Empress of India" always cut what Bengalis would consider a "healthy" figure - as is demonstrated by her statue outside the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta.

Paul Holland, one of the two judges - he is sparing with his compliments - said Tamal's Charlotte Russe was "fantastic" and shook his hand.

The flavours in Tamal's were "gorgeous", agreed Mary Berry, the other judge. Winning Star Baker would also "boost his confidence" for next week, she added.

Tamal's triumph this week was well received by the popular press.

For example, the Metro, a free newspaper, said: "One person in the Bake Off tent totally outshone all the others. This week was definitely Tamal's week."

"Fans of Tamal... have been waiting aaaaaages for this moment, and they were elated that it had finally happened," it reported.

Someone called Beth Keeping tweeted: "I love the way Tamal's eyes sparkle when he's paid a compliment...little bit in love right now."

"Tamal has been my winnerrrrrrrrr since day one woop!" was the reaction from Louise.

"Also, I can't be alone in thinking that Tamal phoning his mum with the news was the cutest thing since kittens," said Hannah Scott.

Tamal's mother would not approve of the reaction from Vinyl Kale: "I don't have ovaries yet Tamal does something funny to mine."

Tamal, who tweets as @DrRayBakes, admitted: "I'll be honest, I kind of thought it was never going to happen. Absolutely over the moon to finally get STAAAARRR BBAAAAKKKEEERRRR!!!"

Only five contestants will return next Wednesday for the quarter-finals.