It's time for the Great British Bake Off final tonight as the iconic tent is set to come down with the year's best baker crowned - but who'll be cooking this evening?
The winner will be announced on Channel 4 later on after a few action-packed weeks with clumsiness from Alison Hammond, impressive gateaus and incredible entremets. Fans of the popular show watched as Christiaan de Vries was chosen as star baker during the semi-final - but who will be the star baker when it matters tonight?
This year's finalists are Christiaan de Vries, 33, who is a menswear designer, retail assistant Dylan Bachelet, 20, and paediatric nurse Georgie Grasso, 34. It's a tough competition after Gill Howard was eliminated during Patisserie Week, just missing out on a place in a final.
The countdown is on and the show's fans are getting the goodies in ahead of final night. But before presenters Noel Fielding and Alison Hammonds reveal this year's champion, we take a look at what Bake Off winners are up to these days...
Edd Kimber - 2010
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BBC)Back when Bake Off premiered on the BBC, Edd - still only 35 - was the show's first-ever winner in 2010. He went on to quit his job as a debt collector to write cookbooks, including One Tin Bakes.
He has amassed over 300,000 followers on social media since appearing on the show, where he showcases his recipes. Edd has been the resident baker on the Alan Titchmarsh Show and ran a bakery in the upmarket department store Fortnum & Mason.
The baker also regularly contributes to food magazines including BBC Good Food, Delicious, and Waitrose Kitchen.
Joanne Wheatley - 2011
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Daily Post Wales)A housewife when she competed, Joanne went on to release two cookbooks, write a column for Sainsbury’s Magazine and appear on programmes such as The One Show.
The 52-year-old from Essex now has her own website, Jo’s Blue Aga. Soon after she won GBBO, it was revealed that her husband Richard was serving a seven-year jail term for money laundering. They are believed still to be together.
John Whaite - 2012
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BBC)Although now more associated with another reality TV show, Strictly Come Dancing, John first became a household name thanks to his victory on the third series of Bake Off.
After beating the other bakers in the iconic tent back in 2012, went on to study for his patisserie diploma from Parisian school Le Cordon Bleu. He also released four cookery books following his time on the show, co-hosted ITV’s Chopping Block and in 2015 launched John Whaite’s Kitchen Cookery School in a converted cattle shed.
In 2018, he announced plans to return to his law career before later signing up for a stint on Strictly last year, where he narrowly missed out on lifting the Glitterball trophy with partner Johannes Radebe.
Frances Quinn - 2013
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PA)A children’s clothes designer before she won in 2013, the 39-year-old went on to write a bestselling cookbook called Quintessential Baking and even appeared in Vogue.
Frances went on Celebrity Pointless and set the record for the world’s largest Jaffa Cake in 2017. But it was later revealed that she was banned from Waitrose after being accused of shoplifting there.
Nancy Birtwhistle - 2014
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PA)At 60, Nancy was the oldest GBBO winner to date. The former GP practice manager and grandmother of eight who retired in 2007, said her earnings after raising the Bake Off cake stand "nicely" topped up her NHS pension.
The grandmother now keeps her fans updated on her baking endeavours on her blog, where she regularly shares hints, tips, and recipes.
Nadiya Hussain - 2015
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BBC)Image:
BBC/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)Believed to be Bake Off’s most successful contestant, Nadiya, 36, is now thought to be worth £4million thanks to her work as a television presenter and author.
She has hosted shows The Chronicles of Nadiya and Nadiya’s British Food Adventure was chosen to bake the Queen’s 90th birthday cake in 2016 and last year was awarded an MBE. Earlier this year, Nadiya opened up about some of the downsides of winning the popular show.
"There are so many wonderful things about being well known and doing a job I absolutely love," she told the Express over Zoom in September. "I have so much fun, it doesn't really feel like a job, actually. But it has its downsides, too."
Candice Brown - 2016
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PA)Former PE teacher Candice, 36, was estimated to net £1million in the year after winning. She appeared on Dancing on Ice in 2018 and won Celebrity Mastermind in 2019.
She split from her husband Liam Macaulay in 2020, describing it as her hardest year as her pub The Green Man, in Bedfordshire, also struggled. The baker has remained in the spotlight since finding fame on Bake Off, often enjoying appearances on shows such as Loose Women, and has released a series of books.
Sophie Faldo - 2017
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Contour RA)Sophie's victory in 2017 caused quite a stir at the time, thanks to judge Prue accidentally revealing her as the winner on social media hours before the big final aired on Channel 4!
The Army officer, who served in Afghanistan, changed career after she won. She launched Sophie Faldo Couture Cakes, but says she earned more money before GBBO and went through "dark times".
She said: “I had to remind myself what was important to me.”
Rahul Mandal - 2018
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Channel 4)Dr Rahul Mandal is the only Bake Off winner not to pen a book following his victory on the Channel 4 show.
The 34-year-old went back to being an engineering researcher at the University of Sheffield's Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre after being crowned champion five years ago. But he has been on This Morning, written a newspaper column and recently led a campaign to encourage more women into the engineering field.
David Atherton - 2019
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Channel 4)Image:
Press Association Images)David, 38, was controversial as the only winner to have never been a star baker during their tenure on the show. He was an international health adviser when he went on GBBO.
"I've watched this since the second series so for nine years I've been dreaming of Bake Off," David said after his surprise victory was revealed. "It wasn't even in my mind that I could win this. I was always the underdog." He has since written a column on food for fitness and My First Cookbook, aimed at children.
Peter Sawkins - 2020
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PA)One in six Brits are believed to have watched Peter, now 21, become the youngest-ever winner in 2020. Peter did his Accounting and Finance degree at the University of Edinburgh, where he was also president of the university’s badminton society.
He released his first cookbook Peter Bakes, with twists on classic favourites as well as some traditional Scottish recipes.
Giuseppe Dell'Anno - 2021
The 45-year-old took home the title of Star Baker in last year's final, as viewers fell in love with the Italian's passion for baking and his tales of watching his professional chef father make a cake every Sunday.
Like other Bake Off winners, Giuseppe has released a cooking book. He told his fans earlier this year: "Big news! I can finally announce that my first cookbook, Giuseppe’s Italian Bakes, is coming out this Autumn. If I’m honest, I cannot believe that this is really happening, and I’m still in disbelief while I’m writing this… somebody pinch me, please."
Syabira Yusoff - 2022
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PA)The Malaysian-born baker romped to the 2022 title after her impressive skills in the kitchen stole the show.
Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith sang Syabira's praises after a tense final saw the cardiovascular research associate go head to head with Abdul Rehman Sharif, 29, and Sandro Farmhouse, 30, in the infamous white tent.
Syabira said after hearing the big news: “Thank you so much. I can’t believe it, honestly, it hasn’t sunk in yet, this is the biggest achievement in my life." Judge Paul told her: “Some of the flavours we have never had in the tent before and are unlikely to have again, she is an incredible baker.”
Matty Edgell - 2023
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Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon / Love Productions)Following a tense final alongside Josh Smalley and Dan Hunter, the PE and science teacher from Cambridgeshire was crowned the 2023 season 14 winner.
"I hope GBBO might just change my life a little bit but being a PE teacher is something I really enjoy. My next big baking project is our wedding cake," Matty explained. During the series, he called himself 'the official underdog' as many of the other contestants had more baking experience than him.
Matty had thought he “wasn’t good enough” to compete in the show but, with encouragement from his fiancée, became confident in his skills.
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