It may be the Great British Bake Off grand final tonight, but the show’s former quarter-finalist Manon Lagrève has a showstopper of her own to share.
As HELLO! can exclusively reveal, Manon is pregnant with her second child. The French baker and her husband Luke Bennett are expecting a little sibling for their two-year-old daughter Fleur in the spring.
“Fleur is very excited. She says: ‘Baby in the tummy’ in French, and gives it kisses and strokes,” Manon, who found fame on the hit Channel 4 baking competition in 2018, tells HELLO! in an exclusive interview.
While Manon and Luke know the sex of the baby, they are keeping it under wraps because Manon’s family want it to be a surprise.
“We needed to know – we couldn’t wait until the birth to find out,” smiles the food and lifestyle influencer, who is 24 weeks pregnant and due to give birth at the end of March.
“Also, it’s great for Fleur to know because she can really bond with the bump.”
Expanding their family has been a dream come true for Manon and Luke, who married in a romantic celebration in the bride’s hometown of Louvigné-du-Désert, Brittany last June, after meeting at a friend’s birthday party and getting engaged in Barbados in 2020.
“I grew up knowing I wanted to be a mum,” she told HELLO! when she announced her pregnancy with Fleur.
Manon also told how her time working with children – she moved to London in 2011 as an au pair – was the perfect preparation for motherhood.
“I think being an au pair is the best training you can get,” she said. “I looked after three kids, including a newborn baby. It was crazy but amazing, and I think that’s why I feel so calm about becoming a mum.”
Manon first found fame when she reached the quarter-finals of the ninth series of The Great British Bake Off, alongside fellow bakers including Briony Williams, Kim-Joy Hewlett and Rahul Mandal, who went on to win the series.
The star, who turns 32 in December, has now found success as a food and lifestyle influencer. As well as regularly sharing recipe videos and lifestyle inspiration with her half a million Instagram followers, Manon released her debut cookbook Et Voila! In April, packed full of her favourite dessert recipes.
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For the full interview and photos, pick up a copy of HELLO! magazine, out Monday 4th December.