Great British Bake Off: Here's where all the previous winners are now

21 September 2021, 12:43

Here's what the winners of the Great British Bake Off are doing now
Here's what the winners of the Great British Bake Off are doing now. Picture: Alamy

By Naomi Bartram

Where are the Bake Off winners now? Find out everything about Joanne Wheatley, Sophie Faldo and Peter Sawkins.

The Great British Bake Off is back on our screens, and we can’t wait to get to know the latest hopefuls.

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith have returned to their rightful spots as judges, while Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas are fronting the show again.

But as we watch the contestants take on some tricky tasks in the tent, have you ever wondered what the previous winners are up to?

Well, here’s what happened to the GBBO champions…

The Great British Bake Off is back on Channel 4
The Great British Bake Off is back on Channel 4. Picture: Channel 4

Edd Kimber - series one

Edd became Bake Off’s first winner more than ten years ago in 2010.

After quitting his day job as a debt collector, Edd went on to write cookbooks and has now published four.

The cooking star was also the resident baker on the Alan Titchmarsh Show and now has over 350k followers on Instagram.

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Joanne Wheatley - series two

Joanne Wheatley won Bake Off in 2011
Joanne Wheatley won Bake Off in 2011. Picture: Alamy

Bake Off fans might remember Joanne was crowned champion back in 2011.

She has now released two cookbooks and bagged a job as a writer for Sainsbury’s Magazine.

Joanne also opened her own cooking school from her home in Essex which specialises in cupcake making.

John Whaite - series 3

John Whaite has appeared on Lorraine and This Morning as a chef
John Whaite has appeared on Lorraine and This Morning as a chef. Picture: Alamy

After winning the show in 2012, John studied for a patisserie diploma at Parisian school Le Cordon Bleu.

He now regularly appears in the cooking segment of shows such as Lorraine and This Morning, while he has also released four cookery books.

John co-hosted ITV’s Chopping Block and six years ago he launched his own cookery school in a converted cattle shed.

The star is currently appearing on Strictly Come Dancing as part of the first male same sex couple with Johannes Radebe.

Frances Quinn - series 4

Frances Quinn won GBBO in 2013 after impressing with her intricate cake designs.

It’s not surprising she has a creative flair, as Frances was children’s clothes designer before she entered the show.

Just like her fellow Bake Off winners, Frances went on to release a best selling cookbook called Quintessential Baking and set the record for the world’s largest Jaffa Cake in 2017.

Nancy Birtwhistle - series 5

Nancy became the fifth Bake Off winner in 2014 after retiring as a GP practice manager.

The 60-year-old grandmother of eight said her earnings from the show ‘topped up her NHS pension’.

Nadiya Hussain - series 6

Nadiya Hussain baked The Queen's 90th birthday cake
Nadiya Hussain baked The Queen's 90th birthday cake. Picture: Alamy

In 2015, Nadiya Hussain lifted the iconic baking stand and she has now become one of the most successful winners of the show,

In fact, it’s thought the 36-year-old is now worth a whopping £3.7million after fronting her own cookery shows such as The Chronicles of Nadiya and Nadiya’s British Food Adventure.

She is also an author and has written children's books and her own novels including The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters.

As well as being awarded an MBE, Nadiya was even chosen to bake the Queen’s 90th birthday cake in 2016.

Candice Brown - series 7

Candice Brown appeared on Dancing on Ice in 2018
Candice Brown appeared on Dancing on Ice in 2018. Picture: Alamy

Candice was crowned the champion of GBBO back in 2016 and swiftly quit her job as a PE teacher.

Two years later, the 36-year-old went on to appear on Dancing on Ice but she was voted out during the first week.

She also won Celebrity Mastermind in 2019 and runs her own pub in Bedfordshire called The Green Man.

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Sophie Faldo - series 8

Sophie Faldo had a big career change after winning the show in 2017.

While she was an officer in the army and stuntwoman, the star decided to open Sophie Faldo Couture Cakes.

Sophie previously told the BBC that she was a ‘a private person’ who initially struggled a little with the fame that came with the show.

She was part of the first show on Channel 4 after it moved from the BBC, and Prue famously announced her win on Twitter before the final.

Rahul Mandal - series 9

Rahul Mandal won series 9 of Bake Off
Rahul Mandal won series 9 of Bake Off. Picture: Alamy

Rahul Mandal won over the nation’s hearts when he was crowned the champion in 2018.

Unsurprisingly, the 34-year-old went back to his job as an engineering researcher at the University of Sheffield.

He hasn’t turned his back on baking completely and has appeared in the cooking segment on This Morning and written a newspaper column.

David Atherton - series 10

In 2019, David Atherton won the show after he never managed to scoop the star baker prize.

Packing in his job as an international health adviser, he went on to release a children’s cookery book called My First Cook Book: Make, Bake and Learn to Cook.

He published his second book in May this year which is called Good to Eat: Read food to nourish and sustain you for life.

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Peter Sawkins - series 11

Peter Sawkins became the youngest ever Bake Off winner in 2020 after he scooped the prize at the age of 20.

Now 21, he is thought to still be completing his Accounting and Finance degree at the University of Edinburgh

His first cookbook will be released in October this year and is called Peter Bakes. The book looks at twists on classic favourites as well as some traditional Scottish recipes.

We can't wait to see what the 2021 Bake Off winner will get up to after the show.