‘The Great British Bake Off’ Winners Edd Kimber, Nadiya Hussain and More: Where Are They Now?

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'The Great British Bake Off' Winners Edd Kimber, Nadiya Hussain and More: Where Are They Now?

Ready, set, where are they now? The Great British Bake Off has crowned 10 winners since its debut on BBC Two in August 2010, and the show has managed to entice American viewers thanks to an arrangement with Netflix, which streams it in the United States. Americans instantly fell in love with the endearing contestants, accomplished judges including Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood (and later Prue Leith), as well as several wisecracking hosts such as Sue Perkins and Noel Fielding. Aside from popularizing terms like traybake and Victoria sponge, the show has forever altered the culinary sphere and minted accomplished bakers including Edd Kimber and Nadiya Hussain. Kimber, the program's first winner left his job at a bank after his 2010 win and has never looked back. He has authored four cookbooks since his victory and constantly posts photos of his latest culinary creations on his Instagram account, which boasts more than 311,000 followers. "I always say that [my life] changed in every way that I could want it to change, in a nice way. I had a job before that I didn’t really like and I kind of felt very stuck in a rut," he told Yorkshire Life after his win in August 2015. "So, doing the show for me was only ever about trying to somehow make baking into a career and into a life. Obviously, the main thing is that I have been able to do that everyday since. I have been offered amazing opportunities." Kimber added: "I went on the show a little bit shy and with a little bit of low confidence and the show kind of beats that out of you. It gave me a boost personally, but also I think it gave me knowledge that I was probably better at baking than I actually assumed I was ... It boosts your ego a little bit. It made me think 'Actually, maybe I can do this job.'" For a fan-favorite like Hussain, GBBO was nothing short of life-changing. Though she struggled on some of the weekly challenges, the U.K. native's hard work registered with viewers, as did her perseverance and positive attitude. Aside from appearing alongside a very famous royal couple as part of A Berry Royal Christmas special in December 2019, Hussain has written five cookbooks and another three children's books, as well as an autobiography. She has also appeared on her own television shows, including Nadiya's British Food Adventure and Nadiya's Family Favourites. Scroll down to see where the other winners of The Great British Bake Off are now! [podcast_block]

Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy Edd Kimber/Instagram

Edd Kimber (2010)

The show's first-ever champion made a significant career change following his run on GBBO. Kimber, who grew up in Bradford, U.K., ditched his job as a debt collector for a bank in order to become a full-time food writer. Since his win, he's authored four cookbooks — Say It With Cake, The Boy Who Bakes, Patisserie Made Simple and One Tin Bakes — and currently hosts the popular "Stir the Pot" podcast, on which he interviews chefs and other food writers.

Kimber, who refers to himself as The Boy Who Bakes, also maintains a strong social media presence and frequently posts photos of his impressive culinary creations on Instagram.

Credit: Courtesy Jay Rutland/Instagram; YouTube

Joanne Wheatley (2011)

Wheatley, the first female GBBO winner, was also the last champion to appear on a season of the show that consisted of fewer than 10 episodes. Following her victory, the London native opened her own cooking school and wrote two books — A Passion for Baking and Home Baking. She is a frequent contributor to various publications, including The Sun, The Mirror and BBC Good Food Magazine.

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John Whaite (2012)

The Le Cordon Bleu-educated baker was studying for his law exams in 2012 when he appeared on GBBO and won. He shifted gears after his victory and focused on food, and has written five cookbooks. Whaite then worked as a resident chef on ITV's Lorraine and cohosted ITV's Chopping Block. He currently runs his own cooking school, John Whaite's Kitchen, which he opened on his family's farm in January 2016.

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Frances Quinn (2013)

Prior to her GBBO victory, Quinn worked as a children's clothing designer. After her win, she focused her creative energy solely on cooking. Her first book, Quintessential Baking, was released in 2016 and she now creates custom cakes for events while also running a successful food blog. Her work has appeared in Vogue and other publications.

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Nancy Birtwhistle (2014)

Birtwhistle, who was a fan-favorite on the reality competition show, now runs her own baking website (complete with hundreds of recipes) and gives baking demonstrations across the U.K. Her first cookbook, Sizzle and Drizzle, was released in October 2019. Addressing her stint on GBBO, the proud grandmother wrote on her website, "It was the most difficult thing I have ever undertaken in my life, but equally the most enjoyable."

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Nadiya Hussain (2015)

Perhaps the most well-known GBBO winner, Hussain has gone on to author several cookbooks and even cooked with Prince William and Duchess Kate in December 2019 as part of A Berry Royal Christmas special, which was televised in the U.K. at the time. In June 2020, the U.K. native made headlines when she opened up about a racist experience she had years earlier via a moving Instagram post. Hussain is reportedly working on a new show with Queer Eye cast member Tan France.

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Candice Brown (2016)

The former school gym teacher left her job following her GBBO win in order to pursue baking full-time. She later appeared on other British television shows such as Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Mastermind, and released a cookbook called Comfort in July 2017. Brown is currently the owner of the Green Man pub in Eversholt, Bedfordshire.

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Sophie Faldo (2017)

The former British Army officer baked her way to the top in 2017. Since her win, Faldo has started her own business, Sophie Faldo Cakes, which specializes in custom confections for weddings and other occasions. In 2019, she appeared alongside Spanish food vlogger Abraham Bandera Baez in the Insight TV series, Travel With a Goat.

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Rahul Mandal (2018)

Unlike most GBBO winners, Mandal, an engineer, actually returned to his first profession following his victory and currently works as an engineering researcher at University of Sheffield's Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. However, the India native still has a passion for baking and frequently posts photos of his breathtaking bakes on Instagram.

Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy David Atherton/Instagram

David Atherton (2019)

The most recent GBBO champion nearly didn't make the cut at all. Atherton was initially named as a reserve contestant for the show, but was asked to join the cast and replace another competitor just before filming started. Despite never winning Star Baker, the former health advisor was eventually crowned the winner. He began writing a food column for The Guardian a year after his victory and has a book, My First Cookbook, slated to be released in August 2020.

Credit: Courtesy of Peter Sawkins/Instagram; David Fisher/Shutterstock

Peter Sawkins (2020)

The youngest GBBO contestant returned to school after his historic win. While studying for his accounting and finance degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Sawkins released a cookbook titled Peter Bakes in October 2021.

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Giuseppe Dell'Anno (2021)

After becoming the first Italian contestant to win the show, Dell'Anno accepted a job as the senior manager of R&D at Sealed Air Corporation in Milan, Italy. The father of three commutes between Italy and the U.K. to be with his family.