What Are All The Bake Off Winners Up To Now?
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23 hours ago
A trip down memory lane
Last week, Bake Off fans went wild after discovering series 15 runner up Dylan had secured a job in a Michelin-starred London restaurant after the show. This got us thinking: what have the other stars gone on to do? Have any others landed snazzy kitchen gigs? We’ve done some digging to find out what all the winners of The Great British Bake Off are up to now.
What Do Bake Off Winners Do After The Show?
Georgie Grasso – Series 15
Series 15 winner Georgie Grasso took home the crown this year, making her the show’s first Welsh winner – and she has since become a local celebrity in her hometown of Carmarthenshire. ‘Because we live in such a small town everyone knows everyone, so everyone is just coming up going “can we have your autograph?”,’ she said in an interview. So what’s next for Georgie? A cookbook of her signature bakes, perhaps? Her very own Welsh bakery? And will she continue her work as a pediatric nurse? We’ll have to wait and see…
Alison and Noel with Matty
Matty Edgell – Series 14
Peterborough-based PE and science teacher Matty was the 2023 winner, beating fellow finalists Josh Smalley and Dan Hunter for the top prize. After winning the show, Matty – then 28 – returned to school to finish his teaching year, before quitting the profession in 2024. He said after ‘juggling two passions’ of teaching and baking he had decided to focus on the latter, and was exploring the options for his next project, such as ‘writing a book, getting back into television and starting [my] own cake businesses’.
Dr Syabira Yusoff – Series 13
Prior to Bake Off, Syabira worked as a cardiovascular research associate of King’s College – and after winning she says her day-to-day life ‘completely changed’. Since then, she has spent time promoting the food of her home country, Malaysia, launching an afternoon tea experience at the CloudM Hotel in London, hosting cooking classes and participating in events and festivals.
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Giuseppe Dell’Anno – Series 12
Baker Giuseppe Dell’Anno won the show in 2021, becoming the first Italian to take home the crown. Prior to Bake Off he worked as an engineer, and despite being offered lucrative roles back home in Italy he decided to pursue a career as a full-time baker in the UK. His debut book, Guiseppe’s Italian Bakes, was published in October 2022, and last year he launched another, Guiseppe’s Easy Bakes.
Peter Sawkins – Series 11
In 2020, Peter Sawkins became Bake Off’s youngest ever winner, scooping up the title at just 20 years old. Afterwards, he finished his accounting and finance degree at the University of Edinburgh, and went on to publish his own cookbook, Peter Bakes.
David Atherton – Series 10
Yorkshire-born health adviser David Atherton wowed the judges on series 10, beating Steph Blackwell and Alice Fevronia for the crown – despite never securing Star Baker. Shortly after the show aired, he landed a column for The Guardian titled Fit Food, focused around healthy twists on classic bakes, and he went on to release a children’s recipe book, My First Cookbook. He hopes to release another next year, and still works three days a week as a nurse.
Rahul Mandal – Series 9
Rotherham’s Rahul Mandal became a fan favourite back in 2018, loved for his unassuming, friendly nature. His scientific approach to baking helped him create some impressive showstoppers, and since the show he continued his work as an engineering researcher at the University of Sheffield’s Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. He has also written newspaper columns, cooked on numerous TV shows, and written a cookbook: Showstopping Cakes: Mastering the Art and Science of Baking.
Sophie Faldo – Series 8
After triumphing in 2017, GBBO winner Sophie Faldo returned to her job as an army officer, but that wasn’t the end of her baking career. Sophie now runs her own cake company, Sophie Faldo Couture Cakes, which focuses on bespoke cakes for weddings. And in 2023, she returned to the tent and was crowned winner of The Great Christmas Bake Off.
Candice Brown – Series 7
Arguably one of Bake Off’s most famous stars, Candice Brown has had a fruitful career since taking home the crown in 2016. She has written multiple cookbooks and starred on Dancing on Ice – although on this show she was booted out first. After a stint working for chef Tom Kerridge, in 2018 Candice and her brother Ben took over a pub called The Green Man in Eversholt, Bedfordshire, which they now run together.
Nadiya Hussain – Series 6
Bake Off legend Nadiya Hussain rose to fame after her series 6 victory, capturing the hearts of the nation with her inspirational winner’s speech. She has since gone from strength to strength, releasing cookbooks, presenting ITV’s Loose Women and even being chosen to bake a cake for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. Nadiya has also hosted numerous TV shows, most recently fronting Cook Once Eat Twice, a BBC show about cooking with leftovers.
Nancy Birtwhistle – Series 5
Series 5 winner Nancy Birtwhistle said her life completely changed after The Great British Bake Off. She went on to demonstrate at food shows and host talks at schools, as well as publishing a number of cookbooks. Nowadays, you’ll find her writing for the Daily Telegraph, as well as publishing recipes on her website.
Frances Quinn – Series 4
Ruby Tandoh was the bookies’ favourite to win in 2013, but Frances Quinn ended up taking home the gong. Today, she continues to split her time between two careers, design and baking, which are in many ways interlinked. She has also published a cookbook, Quintessential Baking.
John Whaite – Series 3
After winning GBBO aged just 23, law student John Whaite quickly landed two cookery book deals. He went on to secure TV presenting roles, including a regular baking segment on Lorraine, and opening his own cookery school in Lancashire in 2015. John was also a runner-up in the 2021 series of Strictly Come Dancing, alongside dance partner Johannes Radebe.
Joanne Wheatley – Series 2
Mum-of-three Joanne Wheatley triumphed over fellow finalists in 2011. After the show, she released two cookbooks, A Passion For Baking and Home Baking, as well as writing a column for Sainsburys’ magazine. She also ran cooking classes from home – which she says initially had a six-month waiting list. Nowadays, she creates recipes for her website.
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Edd Kimber – Series 1
After becoming Bake Off’s debut winner, Edd Kimber quit his job as a debut collector and focused on writing cookery books full time (he has penned six over the years). He also launched a popular podcast, Stir The Pot, in which he interviews a series of chefs and food writers. Edd reflected on his life since Bake Off in 2020, writing: ‘What a wild 10 years it’s been… Through determination and a lot of very hard work I’m so very proud of what I’ve achieved over these past ten years, all I ever wanted to do was encourage people, to help them bake and enjoy this thing I’m so passionate about.’
