Bake Off Winners: Surprising Paths Revealed!

It was once the most watched show on British television, with millions tuning in to see who would be crowned Star Baker and who would fall foul to a soggy bottom. 

Yet while The has been a platform for hundreds of aspiring bakers to showcase their skills, winning the coveted cake stand doesn't always mean a transition to stardom. 

This week, series six winner Nadiya Hussain brought the show back into people's minds as she opened up about being sacked by the .

The TV personality, 41, had landed a series of show with the broadcaster as a direct result of her success on the baking competition, but claimed she was later dropped because of her Muslim heritage. 

Opposingly, that she was axed because her star had 'waned', her recipes became 'tired' and she became 'increasingly hard to work with'. 

Yet Nadiya is far from the only star to have faded from the limelight since Bradford native Edd Kimber was the first to win the show in 2010. 

So what became of the other Star Bakers? 

Edd Kimber - Series 1 (2010)

Series one of the show premiered in 2010 and Edd Kimber, 41, was the first lucky winner of the series.

The former debt collector's life was transformed by his win and he is now a with many cookbooks under his belt.

He has even worked at French chef Raymond Blanc's Michelin star restaurant which can be found in a five star hotel in Oxfordshire. 

Speaking of a different time, he wrote in The Telegraph in 2016: 'When the finale aired I still remember people applauding the idea that a man could win a baking show'.

Edd was famously rejected by his local catering college but despite this, he managed to bag the GBBO trophy, and has given cookery demonstrations around the world.

The baker, who boasts 517,000 Instagram followers, regularly shares cooking tutorial videos on his social media.

Joanne Wheatley - Series 2 (2011)  

, Joanne Wheatley, is one of the most financially successful Bake Off stars to date.

The mother-of-three, who is in her fifties, went on to launch her own cookery school, where she holds classes on cake-making, and she's written columns, appeared on TV and has written two cookbooks.

She was reported to have earned £75,000 from those lucrative book deals after racking up £500,000 in sales.

'Bake Off totally changed my life,' she said. 'I couldn't believe it when my books became bestsellers.'

The Essex native's husband for conspiracy with others to conceal, convert and transfer the proceeds of crime - all during her very successful stint on the show.

Yet the nation only found out after her win because the BBC chose not to disclose the news. 

Joanne said: 'I was honest with the producers from the start but they didn't want it to define me.

'I didn't want to use it as an X Factor-style sob story. I've known him since I was 15 and I love him.'

A BBC spokeswoman added: 'Joanne’s husband’s background bears no relevance to the programme.

'She is a talented baker and those talents have been recognised, as she was crowned the winner.'

John Whaite - Series 3 (2012)

John Whaite, now 36, has endured a difficult few years in the aftermath of his Bake Off win - from battling a steroid addiction, turning to Only Fans amid financial struggles and nearly falling victim to the Strictly curse.

The baker became a resident chef on Lorraine after publishing three cookbooks and opening a bakery in Lancashire. 

Then in 2021, John made history when he made up half of Strictly's first ever male same-sex pairing with his professional partner Johannes Radebe. They finished in second place.

The duo hit the headlines when John opened up about his feelings for Johannes which put a strain on his relationship in his new biography.

John,, revealed in 2023 during their time on Strictly.

He said the couple 'spent some time apart' after he opened up about his feelings towards the South African dancer.

In extracts of his memoir, Dancing on Eggshells, John detailed the depth of his feelings for Johannes.

He described feeling a 'sense of loss' after Strictly finished as he would no longer get to see Johannes every day and expressed wanting 'to be close to him'.

He said: 'After that final dance, I hung up my clothes for the last time. I felt a sense of loss.

'Not because the competition was over, I was knackered and ready for a break, but because I wouldn't get to see Johannes every single day.

'I watched him as he sat on the window sill of the dressing room drinking a glass of champagne, still sparkling in his bright white show dance outfit.

'I was jealous of the sweat beads as they shimmered on his beautiful skin. I wanted to be close to him... We hugged goodbye, I didn't want to let go.'

Speaking about the infamous Strictly curse, John added: 'Johannes knew that [the curse] could happen. He had seen it a thousand times with his dance companions over the years.

'When you are physically pressed against another man for ten hours a day, things move emotionally... He was being cautious. Strictly has a magical way of revealing the truth.'

Discussing his relationship with his fiancé in the aftermath, he recalled: 'For a while, Paul and I had to have some time apart. I felt like I didn't know what I wanted from my existence any more.

'Paul had moved back with his parents and I thought to myself 'What the hell are you doing?' I was making that childhood premonition of growing old alone come true.

'Fourteen years in a solid relationship with a man who loves me unconditionally, a man who would move the earth to make me feel safe and I was p***ing all over it.' 

This year, John announced the closure of his Lancashire bakery after struggling with a 'relentless workload' and the aftermath of a near-fatal car accident.

He also rejoined Only Fans last year after stating his 12 year TV career just 'didn't set him alight anymore'. He has since come off the site.

After 11 months John shared that he has pocketed a massive $270,000 (£199,147) but insisted he could have made 'quadruple' if he had dedicated more time to the site. 

Frances Quinn - Series 4 (2013)

Raised in a Leicestershire market town, the series four winner was a clothes designer before trading one creative trade for another.

She stunned judges on the Great British Bake Off in 2013 with her elegant and show-stopping bakes, but was often criticised for 'style over substance'. 

Since then, she's graced the pages of Vogue, has baked for Clare Balding, Jools Holland and Quentin Blake and even holds the Guinness World Record for baking the world's largest Jaffa Cake.

In 2015, she released Quintessential Baking, which was lauded by Heston Blumenthal, and now she takes commissions from private clients for cakes.

Nowadays, Frances continues to bake alongside presenter her Baking Playlist podcast. 

Nancy Birtwhistle - Series 5 (2014)

Since leaving the Bake Off tent victorious 11 years ago, Nancy Birtwhistle has re-modelled herself into an eco-friendly cleaning guru - with her latest kitchen wizardry saving a dirty plastic chopping board from landfill. 

It surprised everyone when a 71-year-old retired GP practice manager from Hull, won Bake Off in 2014 - after she was previously rejected from the show for baking bread that wasn't up to scratch.

The GP manager turned Sunday Times bestselling author dedicated 36 years of her life to the NHS before retiring in 2007, but is still a motivated baker with an affinity for gardening.

She has written for The Telegraph and her book Sizzle & Drizzle: Tips for a modern day home-maker was released in October 2019, five years after her big win.

Nancy still lives in Lincolnshire with her GP husband and keeps dogs and rescue hens as pets.

Since winning the show when it still aired on BBC One in 2014, the Lincolnshire bake has garnered a cult following with her planet-friendly hacks - including cleaning clothes with English ivy, using baking soda to replace dishwasher tablets and making oven racks shine by leaving them in damp grass. 

Her book, Clean and Green, which boasts 101 tips for keeping your home spick and span without resorting to harsh cleaning chemicals, shot into the Sunday Times Bestsellers list, just two weeks after it was released last year.

The domestic goddess now has around 185,000 followers on Instagram and while many are there for the dreamy photos of cakes and loaves, the eco-friendly cleaning tips are clearly proving a lucrative side-line.

Nadiya Hussain - Series 6 (2015)

Hailed as the most successful Bake Off winner of all time, Nadiya Hussain has become a household name.

Nadiya, now 38, was reduced to tears when she won the show's sixth season in 2015, with a multi-layered cake called 'My Big Fat British Wedding Cake.'

She stole the nation's hearts when she won in 2015, has since amassed a net-worth of £3.7million, making her the wealthiest GBBO alumna ever, and even baked the  in 2016. 

She was one of the country's most beloved chefs, making regular TV appearances on The One Show on BBC One and Loose Women on ITV.

In 2020, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to broadcasting and the culinary arts.

Just this week, Nadiya told a podcast she still has 'no idea' why she was quietly dropped by the BBC in June after ten years on our screens - after failing to receive a 'definitive reason' by bosses.

But in a new interview, Nadiya is now adamant her Muslim heritage was to blame, claiming that she is a victim of racism in the 'broken' TV industry and that her faith has 'made people uncomfortable'.

She said: 'Suddenly I wasn't the same Nadiya that I was before, because before I was writing cookbooks that were for everybody, and now I wrote this book that didn't feel inclusive.'

But BBC sources insist Nadiya's claim her religion was a major factor in her being dropped 'couldn't be more wide of the mark', insisting the 41-year-old enjoyed a 'long and fruitful' stint with the broadcaster which came to a 'natural end'.

The insider said: 'Nadiya had a decent spell with the Beeb, not many chefs can say they've had a decade's worth of shows on various BBC channels.

'But the BBC is constantly trying to evolve and bring in new talent regarding their food programming, so it's simply the right time to focus on new personalities.'

On Nadiya's claims her Muslim heritage was a factor behind her axing, the insider added: 'That couldn't be more wide of the mark.

'Look at all the series she's made previously with the Beeb: The Chronicles Of Nadiya? Nadiya's Asian Odyssey? She can't say they haven't embraced her roots.'

Meanwhile, a separate showbiz source told the Daily Mail there's a belief Nadiya's star has waned in recent years and she's not 'really kicked on' since winning Bake Off in 2015.

They also claim her recipes didn't excite viewers, amid rumours she became harder to work with.

The source said: 'Nadiya was a major star when she won Bake Off and big things were predicted. She landed shows on BBC, book deals and other endorsements, so she did well.

'But she's not really kicked onto the next level and it's been over ten years since she won Bake Off, there's new faces on the scene and she's in a battle with them now.

'Their recipes will naturally seem more exciting than Nadiya's, which feel tired in comparison.

'And given she's become increasingly harder to work with since her early days, now she become more famous, you can see why the BBC pulled the plug.'

The source added: 'It sounds all rather bitter linking her BBC axing to her religion.'

After being dropped by the Beeb, Nadiya took on a job in a local primary school in a shock career switch.

But just weeks after starting the position she had to quit and made the heartbreaking revelation on her Instagram in an emotional post.

It is not known if Nadiya was paid for her TA post but an advert for her position in the January addition of the school newsletter revealed pay for the job was £20,000.

Latest company accounts for her business reveal she's worth almost £2million thanks to sales of her books.

It's likely they'll continue to be her biggest earner for the foreseeable future.

Candice Brown - Series 7 (2016)

Candice, now 41, won Bake Off's last BBC series with her delicate pastry in 2016, before the show moved over to Channel 4.

The former PE teacher decided the bakery win would allow her to quit her education gig and pursue her passion.

She was touted to get a £1million payday in deals alone after winning the show, and it is believed she has doubled her earning since, thanks to a steady stream of cooking and writing gigs.

After she won the show, she quit her job as a PE teacher to focus on her cooking career full time.

She has also made several noted TV appearances on Loose Women, and had a short stint on Dancing on Ice in 2018, where she became the first contestant to be booted off.

Candice, who boasts 258,000 Instagram followers, opened a Restaurant, Deli and Wine Bar called Margo's in Bedfordshire.

She met her current boyfriend, rugby player Nicky Mercer following the breakdown of her marriage.

The famous baker first met ex-husband Liam Macauley in the bar where he worked while studying for a degree, back in 2012. 

After five years of dating, the couple announced their engagement in October 2017, just over a year after she first appeared on Bake Off.

Candice exchanged vows with her longtime love at Château de Varennes in Burgundy, France, in September 2018.

She and tree surgeon Liam split in 2020, after less than two years of marriage.

Sophie Faldo - Series 8 (2017)

Sophie, now 41, is an Afghanistan veteran who only discovered her love for baking after leaving her job as an army officer - although it took her boyfriend to convince her to apply to the Great British Bake Off.

She graduated with a masters degree in psychology from the University of Toulouse in the south of France and joined the British Army's Royal Artillery division. 

Sophie only realised her talent after baking a birthday cake for a friend. She even told Radio Times in 2017: 'He [her boyfriend] actually put the initial application in.

'I had been looking at going on a course for a while at a patisserie college as it's something I love doing but I couldn't really afford it'.

Since her Bake Off success, Sophie, who is from Surrey has launched her own cake business, baking artisan cakes for special occasions. 

Rahul Mandal - Series 9 (2018)

Rahul, 39, first came to the UK as an international student from Kolkata, India after being awarded a scholarship for the University of Sheffield.

He has said that his move to Britain is what got him involved in bakery - and his STEM background means he is sure to apply a forensic approach to his cooking.

The scientist also boasts a PhD and fans fell in love with his shy, awkward demeanor but he has since returned to work as a nuclear research scientist at the University of Sheffield.

This shouldn't come as a surprise to fans as he told Bake Off back in 2018: 'I love my work as a research scientist, and I think baking is a combination of physics, engineering and chemistry.'

Rahul had applied for Bake Off after being encouraged by a colleague at the University, and still manages to combine both disciplines in his life today.

Nowadays, Rahul is a loving father to his young daughhter Debeshi, whom he welcomed in 2024 with his partner.

David Atherton - Season 10 (2019)

Another unusual career change is observed with 2019 contestant David Atherton, 38, who won the Great British Bake Off after a long stint in healthcare.

Still a keen baker, David still pursues a career making desserts while combining his passion for nutrition in his recipes.

This was highlighted a year after his win when he began writing the Guardian column Fit Food - sharing healthier versions of his favourite recipes like flapjacks.

In 2020 he released his first book - which he aptly titled My First Cookbook which introduces readers to the basics of cookery to motivate them to get into the kitchen.

He told Instagram three years ago: 'This project has definitely been a marathon and not a sprint, but I've loved every minute'. 

Peter Sawkins - Season 11 (2020)

Peter, now 25, was just a student when he appeared on the show he grew up with - and became so enamoured with it that he fancied a go himself.

It came as no surprise when he was crowned the youngest ever winner of the Great British Bake Off, particularly as he impressed judges as early as episode one where he won star baker.

While on the show, Peter was studying Accounting and Finance at the University of Edinburgh and has since graduated from the intensive course.

He told the Edinburgh Evening News he first applied at 17, and was gutted when he was rejected.

As of 2023, Peter has published two cookbooks. One simply titled: Peter Bakes and the second: Peter's Baking Party: Fun and Tasty Recipes for Future Baking Stars! 

Giuseppe Dell'Anno - Series 12 (2021)

A trained engineer, Guiseppe, now 50, is the second PhD doctor, following Rahul to win the baking crown back in 2021.

Now 47, the scientist moved to England from Italy in the early noughties after studying for his first STEM degree at the University of Pisa.

He then undertook an intensive PhD at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire and was an industrial fellow at the University of Bristol.

But the scientist's passion for food came from his chef father - whose cake Guiseppe fondly remembers.

Unlike Rahul, the PhD scientist is still choosing to make a profit off his skill, having released the cookbook Giuseppe's Italian Bakes with Waterstones - commemorating his heritage.

He has also appeared on the likes of This Morning and Lorraine to showcase his cooking masterpieces. 

Syabira Yusoff - Series 13 (2022)

The show's 2022 winner is also a scientist, having moved to the UK from Malaysia in 2013 to start her PhD.

She with her boyfriend Bradley, has incorporated her work in biology into her bakes, once producing a phenomenal strand of DNA for the judges in her showstopper challenge in the semi-final.

When she isn't baking, London-based Syabira, 32, works as a cardiovascular research associate at King's College London.

Fans of the show were surprised to learn Syabira has only been working with cakes and pastries for five years after first trying her hand at baking in 2017.

Her earliest ventures into the world of baking were various red velvet cakes, which reminded her of treats she had shared with her friends at home.

Since her big win was announced, King's College London paid homage to their star baker research associate - and announced in November 2022 its cafes and restaurants would be selling her red velvet sandwich cookies.

Matty Edgell - Series 14 (2023)

Matty, 30, from Peterborough, quit his much-loved teaching job shortly after his Bake Off win in 2023.

A year after his victory, Matty said he was exploring all options, including 'writing a book, getting back into television and starting his own cake business'. 

The winner, who boasts 461 Instagram followers, shares his delicious recipes on his social media and has become somewhat of an influencer. 

Matty became a father for the first time last December as he and wife Lara announced the birth of their daughter.

He wrote: 'A picture that felt a million miles away this time last year. Welcome to the world our beautiful little Lila.

'Both Mum and baby doing amazing. In awe of how well Lara done throughout the pregnancy and she's already the best Mum to our little girl.'

Georgie Grasso - Series 15 (2024) 

Georgie was crowned the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2024.

The 34-year-old paediatric nurse from Carmarthenshire in Wales beat fellow finalists Christiaan de Vries, 33, and Dylan Bachelet, 20.

The mother-of-three made history as she is the first Welsh person to win the show and also the first to reach the final. 

She said: 'I cannot believe I've won it. It means everything, it's just incredible. I can't believe I've won The Great British Bake Off. I've always been so self-doubtful.

'You make excuses and for once I just thought, no I'm going to go for it and put everything into it. I've proved to myself that I can do something.'

Georgie has followed some of the other former winners in posting her delicious recipe tutorials on her social media. 

Jasmine Mitchell - Series 16 (2025)

Last year, 23-year-old amateur baker Jasmine Mitchell impressed the judges throughout the series and earned the title of Star Baker five times.

Speaking after her win, she said: 'Oh my goodness I am just so overjoyed!

'When I was in the middle of exams and trying to bake while I was trying to learn, it's been so much.

'But I have done it and I am just so unbelievably happy and to have done it with such an awesome group of people.'

Jasmine spoke about her alopecia during the much-loved Bread Week.

She said: 'Ironic that I'm plaiting when I have no hair to plait myself. I had my own hair completely until I was 12, and the doctors didn't really know why, no one really knows what causes alopecia.

'There was nothing that triggered it, I just started randomly losing my hair.'

In December, Jasmine was invited to a reception at 10 Downing Street where she, spoke about the importance of hospitality, reminding guests that food brings people together across divides.