Where are the ‘Great British Baking Show’ winners?

Winners of reality competition shows often receive $1 million or some other major prize … but not on “The Great British Baking Show.”

When it comes to the grand prize, the show is an anomaly — whoever earns the title of best amateur baker just gets some serious bragging rights.

But for some winners of “The Great British Baking Show,” which is called the “Great British Bake Off” in its home nation, it acts as a launchpad for subsequent success and fame in the form of book deals, hosting spots, or contributor positions at food magazines.

In honor of a new season getting underway on

Netflix
, here is what every winner of “The Great British Baking Show” is up to today.

Edd Kimber was the first winner of the series in 2010.

Back when there were only 10 contestants and the competition only lasted six weeks, the former debt collector beat fellow finalists Ruth Clemens and Miranda Gore Browne to earn the inaugural title of “GBBO’s” best amateur baker.

The show was hosted at the time by Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins, and judged and ranked by Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. Of this original lineup, only Hollywood remains: The others left after the show moved networks from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2017.

Prue Leith, along with Hollywood’s Noel Fielding or Matt Lucas, is now a judge.

Kimber is now a well-respected author and baker. He is currently working on his fifth cookbook.

Following his victory on “Bake Off,” Kimber worked in the pastry kitchen of famed French chef Raymond Blanc’s restaurant, Le Manoir, according to The Huffington Post.

Kimber has published four books since then. His fifth, “One Tin Bakes Easy,” will be released in October.

He also contributes to a variety of food magazines including Olive, BBC Good Food, and Sainsbury’s, and he runs The Boy Who Bakes blog. He has also made appearances on numerous British TV shows including “Sunday Brunch” and “The Alan Titchmarsh Show,” where he was resident baker in 2014. According to his website, he also appeared on the Food Network in 2013 with his Christmas special.

Jo Wheatley was the winner of the first season, which featured 12 contestants.

Wheatley, a mom of three, surpassed Holly Bell and Mary-Anne Boermans to win the second season. She won the final with white chocolate and pistachio-meringues.

The finale also famously featured that squirrel.

Jo Wheatley launched a blog and a bakery school in the years that followed, and has published two books.

She runs the blog Jo’s Blue AGA, has turned her home in Essex into a cookery school (which The Guardian included in its Top Five UK Baking Schools), has published two cookbooks, and has contributed recipes to publications including Central Recorder, The Mirror, BBC Good Food Magazine, and Hello magazine, according to Limelight Celebrity Management.

According to her Instagram, Wheatley lives in Lisbon but spends much of her time with her grandchildren and traveling the world with her husband.

John Whaite was a 23 year old law student. He beat Brendan Lynch, James Morton and other contestants in a surprising win.

Even though he got off on the wrong foot in the very first episode of season three (hesprinkled salt into his baking tin instead of sugar during that week’s technical bake), John Whaite persevered to win the third season of “Bake Off” with a chocolate chiffon cake.

Whaite is now taking part in “Strictly Come Dancing,” the British version of “Dancing With the Stars.” He’s part of the show’s first male same-sex dancing duo.

Since his win in 2012, Whaite has published four cookbooks, earned his patisserie diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, served as a judge for the ITV cooking competition “Chopping Block,” and even opened his own cookery school.

In 2018, Whaite announced his plan to pursue his original dream of becoming a barrister.

However, he’s back in the spotlight again as he’s currently a contestant on “Strictly Come Dancing,” where he’s paired with professional dancer Johannes Radebe. They received a standing ovation for their first performance.

Frances Quinn, an underdog, entered the final season as a contestant. However, she won the competition due to her stunning wedding cake.

Frances Quinn overcame some baking disasters, like when host Mel Giedroyc accidentally knocked over Quinn’s biscuit tower when measuring its height, to win season four of “GBBO.” Her show-stopping, three-tier wedding cake, inspired by Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” pushed her ahead of the other two finalists, with judge Paul Hollywood saying it “beat the other two guys hands down,” according to The Guardian.

Quinn has been on many TV shows and in British Vogue.

The 39-year-old clothes designer-turned-pro-baker published the cookbook “Quinntessential Baking” in 2015. She has also made many appearances on TV and radio shows including “This Morning,” and she has contributed recipes to outlets including BBC Food.

She’s still posting photos of delicious bakes on her Instagram page.

Nancy Birtwhistle was a former doctor before becoming a finalist on season 5. She became the oldest winner ever at the age of 60.

Despite previously applyingto the show but being turned down and fan-favorite Richard Burr winning the highest number of star baker awards in “GBBO” history, Nancy Birtwhistle, the queen of consistency, went on to win season five.

“Fancy Nancy” wowed the judges with her intricate baking skills, including a particularly splendid summer pudding Alaska and a miniature version of Paris’ Moulin Rouge made of ginger and orange biscuits during the finale.

Birtwhistle wrote a book that contained tips for managing an environmentally-friendly home in January.

She published a cookbook, “Sizzle And Drizzle: Tips for a modern day home-maker,” in 2019 and has contributed recipes to The Telegraph.

At the start of 2021, she released “Clean & Green: 101 Hints and Tips for a More Eco-Friendly Home.”

She regularly posts recipes on her website and has an engaged Instagram following. According to her website, she enjoys traveling to France and swapping recipes, and she has a Labrador named Meg who at one point qualified for the Crufts dog show.

Nadiyahussain’s 2015 victory speech will be remembered.

Always a fan-favorite for her sass and animated facial expressions, and not to mention her outstanding baked creations (remember her tiered cheesecake with the floating soda can?), Nadiya Hussain is one of the most adored winners in “Bake Off” history.

And who could forget her emotional and encouraging victory speech? She captured the hearts of the public even more after proclaiming, “I’m never, ever gonna put boundaries on myself ever again. I’m never gonna say ‘I can’t do it.’ I’m never gonna say ‘maybe.’ I’m never gonna say, ‘I don’t think I can.’ I can and I will.”

Nadiya Hussain is arguably the most successful victor in “Bake Off” history.

Hussain has been extremely busy since winning “Bake Off,” publishing an impressive collection of cookbooks, novels, children’s and picture books, and becoming a monthly columnist at The Times Magazine.

She has also created a line of toy cookware, starred on and hosted a number of TV shows, including “Nadiya Bakes” and “Time to Eat.” Her new show, “Fast Flavours,” comes out later this year. She has also received awards, including being named one of BBC’s 100 women in 2016.

She also made Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday cake.

Season seven winner Candice brown, a PE teacher was known for her red lipsticks, and her creativity in cooking.

It was clear early on in the season that Candice Brown was a front-runner. With creations like her gingerbread pub (which helped her win star baker that week and gifted us the “Who wants to eat some carpet” joke) to her elaborate marzipan peacock (which some fans of the show accused her of stealing from Nadiya Hussain), Brown regularly wowed the judges and surged ahead of competitors to win the “Bake Off” crown.

Brown quit her job as a teacher and became a pub owner. Earlier this year, she released a book, “Happy Cooking.”

For a period after her win, Brown returned to her job as a PE teacher, telling Hello magazine in 2018, “When I went into school after the final was on TV the kids went: ‘Why are you in, miss? You’re a millionaire!’ I was like, ‘No I’m not,’ and stood outside eating my school dinner on duty in the cold.”

In 2017, Brown released the cookbook “Comfort: Delicious Bakes and Family Treats” and she appeared on the TV show “Dancing on Ice” in 2018. She has also appeared on “This Morning” and “Lorraine” multiple times to talk baking.

In 2019, Brown revealed that she and her brother bought a pub named The Green Man in Eversholt, Bedfordshire. It was locked down and she had to close it. However, it is now open again.

This summer, she released “Happy Cooking,” which features recipes for pick-me-up meals. At the time of its release, she spoke about her mental health struggles following “GBBO,” and how tough it was to write the book.

Sophie Faldo was a military veteran before she won season 8.

Prior to her win, Faldo served in Afghanistan with the Royal Artillery, according to Forces, and was training to be a stuntwoman. She rose up the ranks from an amateur baker, to finally win the entire show. Her specialty cakes impressed all the judges.

Faldo’s victory was notoriously spoiled after judge Prue Leith accidentally tweeted the winner’s name out prematurely. Leith apologised for her error and said she was confused about the time zones between Britain, Bhutan and where she was vacationing.

Sophie Faldo admitted that she was having a difficult time dealing with all the attention after winning the show.

Faldo told the BBC in 2017 that she’s “a private person” who struggled with the level of public attention — especially from the tabloids — she received following her victory.

She went on to write for several publications including The Telegraph and Central Recorderday Times, just like her fellow winners. She had a deal for a cookbook but, according to Bustle, is still working on it after parting ways with her management company.

She also runs Sophie Faldo Couture Cakes, described on its website as “luxury fine cakes and dessert tables.”

Mandal took a second “Bake Off” crown when he won the New Year’s special in January 2021.

After winning “Bake Off,” Mandal returned to his job as a professor and Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Center researcher at the University of Sheffield. He also created the #AMRCtribe campaign in 2019 to encourage more women to become engineers, calling on them to “Be brave, try new things and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

Mandal still bakes and shares his elaborate creations on his Instagram page. His recipes also appear in The Times Magazine.

He returned to the”Bake Off” tent for a seasonal New Year’s special, which aired in January, and proved his first win was no fluke. He beat season five winner Nancy Birtwhistle, and season 10 competitors Henry Bird and Helena Garcia to win.

“What a privilege to be in the tent with these three!” he wrote alongside a photo of the four bakers on Instagram. “Was I #nervous ? Ofcourse I was! I was in the tent with THE NANCY, THE HENRY and THE HELENA!!!! Was fan-boying them the whole time! To the extent that people might think it is a bit creepy!”

David Atherton was the first “GBBO” winner to never earn a star baker recognition during his time on the show.

David Atherton studied art and design before transitioning to working in nursing and healthcare. He told iNews in 2019 that he had been a fan of “Bake Off” since its first season and dreamed of appearing on the show.

After he got a spot on the 12-person roster he raced for the title of best amateur bakery. His creations were a hit with the judges. He also won the technical challenge award for Moroccan pie and a special memory-cake that he says was inspired from his first date with his partner.

Atherton has a master’s level in public health and three cookbooks with healthy eating as a focus.

He’s the author of the children’s cookbook “My First Cookbook,” as well as “Good to Eat.” Earlier this month, he released a vegetarian children’s cookbook, “My First Green Cook Book.”

He has also become a columnist for The Guardian.

Most importantly, he stays in touch with his fellow “Bake Off” competitors, as evidenced by photos on Instagram.

Peter Sawkins, then 20, became the youngest winner in “Bake Off” history when he won season 11. He stated that he got into baking after watching the show as a child.

Sawkins beat Dave Friday and Laura Adlington to take the crown in November 2020. In addition to being the youngest ever winner, Sawkins also became the first Scottish baker in the race for the crown.

There were many other firsts: Because of the coronavirus epidemic, contestants had to be isolated for nine days. Then they would have to stay together for six weeks in a hotel. Their partners, children, and dogs were invited too, and all of the ingredients for their bakes were pre-ordered. The Guardian reported that each baker had their own kitchen in the hotel, so they could practice. Matt Lucas also hosted a bingo night for them to keep them busy, The Guardian reported.