The Great British Bake Off has finally returned to our screens, and we couldn't be more pleased! Season 14 of the hit show follows 12 contestants as they battle it out for that coveted cake tray – but just how successful were the series' winners since the show's creation in 2010? Take a look back at the previous Bake Off winners, and find out where they are now…
Edd Kimber – series one
Edd is still a keen baker and a food writer. In fact, his book, One Tin Bakes (2020), was crowned a bestseller, and has gone on to bag several awards.
Back in 2020, Edd reflected on his time on Bake Off, 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.
"Through my books, my website, my magazine work and of course this Instagram account I’m really honoured you’re all still turning to me for all your baking needs."
Joanne Wheatley – series two
Joanne Wheatley won Great British Bake Off in 2011, which led to her opening her own cookery school. Joanne released two cookery books, A Passion For Baking and Home Baking, and has written for various food publications, as well as The Sun.
John Whaite – series three
John Whaite won the 2012 series of the Great British Bake Off at just 23, and impressed fans by achieving it all while studying for his degree at Manchester University. From his success on the show, John has gone on to have regular baking segments on Lorraine, and presented ITV daytime cooking show Chopping Block. He also opened his own Kitchen Cookery School in Lancashire in 2015.
© David M. BenettMore recently, John has made regular appearances on Steph's Packed Lunch and he also competed in the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing. Paired with Johannes Radebe, the duo made it all the way to the final, where they were crowned the runners-up.
Frances Quinn – series four
Frances Quinn was crowned the Great British Bake Off winner in 2013, and has since gone on to release a cookery book, Quinntessential Baking. Frances' recipes feature on BBC Good Food and she has even appeared in Vogue.
Nancy Birtwhistle – series five
Grandmother-of-eight Nancy has been busy since winning the show in series five, and has her own website full of baking tips and recipes. She's also written about her journey since winning the show, which she called "the most difficult thing I have ever undertaken in my life, but equally the most enjoyable". Nancy enjoys visiting France and trains dogs. She is so a good at it that she even entered her own dog, Meg, into Crufts!
Nadiya Hussain – series six
Possibly the series that made Bake Off a beloved household name, Nadiya rose from a nervous baker to a winner who had us all in floods of tears with her amazing speech after being crowned the champion of the Bake Off tent.
Since then, she has gone from strength to strength with several TV shows including Nadiya's Family Favourites and Nadiya's British Food Adventure, has released several cookbooks, most recently Nadiya’s Simple Spices, and even has her own Homeware range, BlissHome.
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Candice Brown - series seven
Candice has come a long way from her job as a PE teacher since winning Bake Off! She has starred on Dancing on Ice, returned to Bake Off for a special episode, The Great New Year's Bake Off, and also appeared on Celebrity Mastermind and Steph's Packed Lunch. She also became the owner of a pub, The Green Man. Speaking about the pub, she said: "It will be a good old-fashioned pub, good pub grub, warming and hearty. A resurgence in the things we miss about our old pubs."
Sophie Faldo - series eight
Sophie quietly and confidently worked her way up to win the 2017 series, but admitted that the experience wasn't an entirely pleasant one, telling the Huffington Post: "I'd love to propagate this idea that it's all bunting and rainbows but although the show itself is all lovely and very positive... [there's] pressure. I'm freelance and trying to carve a career and that's just as difficult regardless of where you became famous. The end point is always the same, it's always that pressure that you feel going on."
Sophie has now launched a business, Sophie Faldo Couture Cakes, where she makes beautiful bespoke baked goods for weddings and other special occasions – and they look gorgeous!
Rahul Mandal - series nine
Everyone fell in love with Rahul as the scientist from Yorkshire who slowly grew in confidence after thinking himself not good enough to be in the tent. Although Rahul enjoyed a good few TV appearances following his big win, he went back to his day job and is continuing to work at the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. He does have 416k followers on Instagram now though, and keeps his adoring fans up to date with his latest recipes on there. Never change, Rahul!
© Photo: Getty ImagesDavid Atherton
Since winning Bake Off, David has released his first cook book, aptly named My First Cookbook, and has a food for fitness column for The Guardian. He also tied the know with his partner, Nik! Sharing their wedding snaps on Instagram, David wrote: Our first wedding photos have come through! I cried the whole way through my vows (apart from a little laugh in the first photo). I’m not a crier, but it happened.
"We had a small gathering in my sisters garden to celebrate with our families which meant we could wait out the rain before starting (photo 4 checking the rain has stopped). After the sun was back out we had constant sun which was lovely (thank you Mother Nature)."
Peter Sawkins - series 11
At the age of 20, gluten-free baker and finance student Peter Sawkins became the youngest ever contestant to be named Bake Off winner. Since being crowned champion, Peter has written his own cookbook, Peter Bakes. He also returned to his studies and has completed his accounting and finance degree at the University of Edinburgh. According to his Instagram bio, Peter is the current president of the university's sports union.
© Photo: AlamyGiuseppe Dell'Anno - series 12
Fans were delighted when the charming Giuseppe took home the glass cake plate for 2021! At the time, he said: "There are no words, I am speechless for once. All I can think of is the reaction from my mum and dad. The fact is that everything I have done to deserve this comes from his heritage, it’s the best thank you note I can possibly send him. He is going through a very bad time health-wise, so I think this is going to be a great boost."
The delightful chef has since gone onto release his first cookbook, Giuseppe's Italian Bakes, which is full of sweet and savoury recipes with his own signature twist. Mmm!
Syabira Yusoff – series 13
Syabira Yusoff's culinary creations helped her bag the title of Star Baker on the Great British Bake Off in 2022. In a recent interview with HELLO!, Syabira reflected on her sweetest moments from the show, and she also revealed what she’s been up to.
© InstagramAfter launching her hugely popular Malaysian afternoon tea experience with the CloudM Hotel in London, the GBBO alum is now working on a second event, slated for November. She's also teased that "there are books coming," but in the meantime, fans will have to keep an eye on her Instagram account for updates. Additionally, she uses her social media account to showcase her latest bakes, and of course, they all look incredible!
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