Great British Bake Off contestants: Where are they now?

We just can't get enough of The Great British Bake Off (opens in new tab), but what happens to the Great British Bake Off contestants once they disappear from our screens?

We've cheered on our favourite Great British Bake Off contestants over the years as they've taken part in tough baking challenges and made their signature bakes for the discerning eyes and tastebuds of judges. But what happened to some of our favourite contestants from previous years? Was taking part in the Bake Off a passport to fame and fortune?

2019 Great British Bake Off Contestants:

David Atherton

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2019

Where is he now? Formally a health advisor, David shares his recipes and travel photos on Instagram (opens in new tab). During the coronavirus pandemic, he has been sharing his journey using the symptom tracker and given over his platform to health professionals for advice and discussions around Covid-19.

Did he release a cookbook? David's first cookbook, My First Cookbook (opens in new tab), came out on August 20 and focuses on exciting and fun recipes to inspire children to get cooking in the kitchen.

As well as being packed with useful recipes and information, it's illustrated with beautiful drawings from Rachel Stubbs and will undoubtedly make for a beautiful gift or present for a little one.

Steph Blackwell

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2019

Where is she now? Since being named runner-up on the show in 2019, Steph Blackwell has become a public advocate for speaking up about mental health issues. In an interview with the Independent this year, she described how she felt 'overwhelmed' by the messages she receives from people about how her story has helped them.

Did she release a cookbook?: There's no cookbook from Steph quite yet, but she did contribute to the incredible Big Book of Amazing Cakes (opens in new tab). A recipe book released at the end of Steph's series, it's received rave reviews as a companion guide and memento from the series.

Full of 70 delicious cake recipes - from the classics that everyone knows and loves to 'grand occasional cakes' - the book is ideal for anyone who loves to bake, as it's complete with all the step-by-step instructions you need to rival those in the Bake Off tent.

Alice Fevronia

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2019

Where is she now? Following her time on Great British Bake Off, Alice returned to teaching geography and uses her fabulous baking skills in lessons to demonstrate 'everything from coastal erosion to volcanic activity'. She continues to bake in her spare time, documenting beautiful cakes on her social media (opens in new tab) pages.

Did she release a cookbook?: Alice also hasn't released a cookbook yet, but she also contributed to the Amazing Cakes cookbook (opens in new tab) that's now available to buy on Amazon.

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2018 Great British Bake Off Contestants:

Rahul Mandal

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2018

Where is he now? Since winning the series just last year, Rahul has kept himself busy by going back to his job as an engineering researcher at the University of Sheffield's Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. He also regularly shares photos of his latest baked creations on Instagram (opens in new tab), and even carried out a baking demonstration for students at the University of Sheffield.

Did he release a cookbook?: Rahul hasn't released a cookbook, however his recipes do feature in the Great British Bake Off: Get Baking for Friends (opens in new tab) cookbook released in 2018.

Rahul's self-described 'East-meets-West' style of baking, joined with his interest in the science of baking makes for an exciting collection of recipes by the 2018 winner.

Kim-Joy

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2018

Where is she now? Since becoming runner up in the 2018 series, the 28-year-old mental health specialist has written a baking column for The Guardian. Kim-Joy remains an avid baker and has an active baking Instagram page (opens in new tab), where she posts pictures of her creations as well as her travels.

Did she release a cookbook?: Kim-Joy has wowed her Bake Off fans with her first cookbook, Baking with Kim-Joy (opens in new tab), which hit bookshelves in August 2019.

As one Amazon reviewer said, "Absolutely love this cookbook! There are a lot of different kinds of recipes....cakes, biscuits, macarons, etc. All with the quirky Kim Joy twist. I've tried a few of the recipes and they've turned out great too! As a huge fan of bake off, this would make a great present."

Her second book, Christmas with Kim-Joy (opens in new tab) will be out on October 1 this year and you can pre-order it now.

Full of unique recipes for cakes and bakes, Kim-Joy's recipes are a real treat for anyone who chooses to make them.

Ruby Bhogal

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2018

Where is she now? Fitness fanatic Ruby has utilised her baking skills to help Cancer Research UK. She shares updates on her life and beautiful pictures of cakes and bakes on her Instagram (opens in new tab) feed.

Did she release a cookbook?: Ruby, along with fellow 2018 contestants Manon and Anthony and Masterchef's Billy and Jack, has donated original recipes to the Master Bakers Charity Recipe eBook (opens in new tab) to raise funds for the charity. The team participated in the London Landmark Half Marathon on March 24 this year.

Manon Lagreve

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2018

Where is she now? Originally from France, Software Project Manager Manon Lagreve shares her fresh take on French cooking on her dedicated lifestyle website of the same name.

Did she release a cookbook?: No cookbook from this star baker yet, but she regularly shares updates on her baking accomplishments on her Instagram account (opens in new tab) where she has more than 100,000 followers!

Dan Beasley-Harling

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2018

Where is he now? Avid baker and stay-at-home dad-of-two Dan shares his repertoire of cake recipes via his blog of the same and his social media accounts. Dan will be showing off his cooking prowess this September at the Taste of Kent Festival where he'll be giving demos and masterclasses.

Did he release a cookbook?: Dan was one of the season 7 and 8 bakers who contributed to the Great British Bake Off: Get Baking with Friends cookbook (opens in new tab). He's a self-described perfectionist who prides himself on the appearance of his scrumptious treats as well as their taste. Rooted in family values, Dan sees cooking as a great way to bring the family together and to create memories at mealtimes.

2017 Great British Bake Off Contestants:

Sophie Faldo

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2017

Where is she now? Since winning the series in 2017, Sophie, 34, has become a full-time baker. An avid track cyclist, she’s raised money for Great Ormond Street Hospital while competing in the 100-mile cycling event RideLondon. It has also emerged that Sophie, a member of the British Army Reserve, has applied to go on a military tour.

Did she release a cookbook?: Sophie's first cookbook, Something Sweet, was due to be released in late 2018. However after a split with her management, according to the Daily Mail, she decided to 're-do' it. We haven't heard anything about the top baker's new book endeavours, but fingers crossed for something in the future!

Steven Carter-Bailey

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2017

Where is he now? Although he’s kept his job in corporate marketing, 36-year-old Steven has made appearances in food festivals nationwide and on television alongside celebrity chefs such as Anton Du Beke. He’s also been a special reporter for ITV London News exploring the capital’s diverse bakeries.

Did he release a cookbook?: Host Prue Leith once said about the runner up, "Steven is one of the nicest guys in the world. A joy to work with, and one hell of a baker." But unfortunately, we have no news on a cook book at the moment.

Kate Lyon

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2017

Where is she now? This baker works as a health and safety inspector in Merseyside, and is currently studying for a Masters degree in occupational health and safety. Unlike some of the other Great British Bake Off contestants, she has kept baking as a hobby rather than going professional.

Did she release a cookbook?: Unfortunately, there's no good news when it comes to a cookbook from Kate.

2016 Great British Bake Off contestants:

Candice Brown

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2016

Where is she now? After winning the show’s seventh series, the 34-year-old has certainly been busy. Earlier this year she revealed she had snapped up a pub in Eversholt, Milton Keynes called The Green Man with her family and fans are eagerly waiting to hear more details. Candice has also starred on shows such as Loose Women and 2018's reboot of Dancing on Ice. She married long-term boyfriend Liam Macaulay in September 2018. The former PE teacher also launched a column with The Sunday times and released her first cookbook, Comfort: Delicious Bakes and Family Treats.

Did she release a book?: In July 2017, winner Candice Brown released her first cookbook - Comfort: Delicious Bakes and Family Treats (opens in new tab). The book received a whole host of five stars reviews for winning recipes like black pudding sausage roles and her strudel recipe - just to name two out of the many that are featured in the book, which is packed full of scrumptious treats. 

The baker also hosts regular IGTVs on her account (opens in new tab) to keep fans up to date with her fabulous baking creations.

Andrew Smyth

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2016

Where is he now? The engineering whiz gained notoriety for his scientific bakes, and now he divides his time between Aerospace research, writing and presenting live events and contributing to TV, radio and online features. The 28-year-old has his own Ted Talk entitled Thinking about thinking: check your mental jenga – where he references his time on GBBO. In 2018 he also toured a live 'bakineering' (baking + engineering) show around the UK.

Did he release a cookbook?: Much like many of the other 2016 runners up, Andrew contributed to the Great British Bake Off cookbook:  Great British Bake Off - Perfect Cakes & Bakes To Make At Home (opens in new tab), which is available to buy from Amazon and other book stores. Andrew says his priority when it comes to baking, aside from taste, is bringing people together and sharing with others. This is where his inspiration for family-led baking has come from.

Jane Beedle

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2016

Where is she now? With decades of experience as a garden designer, Jane put her creative skills to good use during her time on Bake Off. She has  since raised money for Marie Curie and Great Ormond Street Hospital. She has also done TV work from her home kitchen for Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, and continues to run a garden design business with her best friend, as well as posting recipes to her baking blog – Jane Bakes.

Did she release a book?: Jane didn't release her own cookbook after the show, but shares plenty of her recipes in Great British Bake Off - Perfect Cakes & Bakes To Make At Home (opens in new tab), alongside other contestants from her series. 

2015 Great British Bake Off contestants:

Nadiya Hussain

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2015

Where is she now? Nadiya is currently on our screens fronting Nadiya's Time to Eat on BBC2 and earlier this year revealed her battle with anxiety in the documentary Nadiya: Anxiety and Me. She's also presented the Junior Bake Off, the Big Family Cooking Showdown and her own shows the Chronicles of Nadiya, Nadiya's British Food Adventure and Nadiya's Family Favourites.

The TV chef is also a prolific author and as well as four cookbooks she has two forthcoming releases in October 2019, memoir Finding My Voice (opens in new tab) and children's book My Monster & Me (opens in new tab). The mum-of-three has also written for BBC Good Food, The Guardian, The Telegraph and Fabulous magazine.

Did she release a book?: Nadiya is perhaps one of the most famous bakers to come out of the series. As well as being a prolific author in national papers, she has released eight books in total. Nadiya's Kitchen was the first of her books to be released in 2016. It contains over 100 excellent and mouth-watering recipes that are ideal for family cooking. Family Favourites and Nadiya's British Food Adventure (opens in new tab) are her second and third books.

Time to Eat (opens in new tab) was released in late 2019 and quickly climbed the bestseller's list on Amazon, while her latest cookbook, Nadiya Bakes (opens in new tab) will be released later in 2020.

Tamal Ray

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2015

Where is he now? Crowned the 'sexy beast' of Bake Off by the viewers watching season 6, Tamal has put baking on the back burner to focus on his career as an anaesthetist, but don't fret! You can still catch Tamal's monthly recipes in The Guardian. He most recently announced his new role as co-presenter of Channel 4's Live Well For Longer alongside Kate Quilton (opens in new tab).

Did he release a cookbook?: There's no cookbook from Tamal unfortunately, but he released plenty of his recipes on BBC Food.

Ian Cumming

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2015

Where is he now? The travel photographer combines his passion for baking and far off places in the adventurous recipes he creates for his hometown paper, Cambridge News, and other outlets such as The Telegraph. Other than that he's been keeping a low profile, enjoying family life in the countryside.

Did he release a cookbook?: In keeping with his low profile, there's no cookbook from Ian.

2014 Great British Bake Off contestants:

Nancy Birtwhistle

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2014

Where is she now? Nancy operates a very successful baking blog and has written for The Telegraph.

Did she release a cook book?: The wonderfully named, Sizzle & Drizzle: Tips for a modern day home-maker (opens in new tab) was released in October 2019, five years after Nancy appeared on Great British Bake Off.

Luis Troyano

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2014

Where is he now? Luis released his own cookbook Bake It Great (opens in new tab) in August 2015, since then he's made appearances on shows like BBC Good Food and BBC Breakfast to flaunt his skills!

Richard Burr

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2014

Where is he now? After breaking the Bake Off record for being the star baker six times in a row, Richard published his first recipe book, Bake It Yourself (opens in new tab) in August 2015. Richard blogs about baking and building as well as making appearances as food festivals.

2013 Great British Bake Off contestants:

Frances Quinn

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2013

Where is she now? We all remember Frances for her extravagant bakes in the Bake Off tent. The winner has been busy demonstrating her skills at food shows such as BBC Good Food since her Bake Off days and published her book, Quinntessential Baking (opens in new tab), in 2015.

Ruby Tandoh

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2013

Where is she now? Ruby may not have won the Bake Off but she certainly hasn't let that get her down. She's gone onto a successful food career writing recipes for The Guardian and was voted the public's favourite Great British Bake Off contestant ever in 2015!

Did she release a cook book?: Since her run on Bake Off, Ruby Tandoh has released three incredible books!

Crumb (opens in new tab) was released first in 2014 and it focuses on the basics of baking, discovering and bringing out flavours rather than perfection in your bakes and cakes.

Flavour: Eat what you love (opens in new tab) was her second book, released in 2016. In a unique approach to cooking, Ruby's book helps readers to follow their cravings and divides the book into sections by food. Late night snack? She's got you sorted.

Eat Up (opens in new tab) was released in 2018 and is all about the pleasures of food and takes a look more into the culture of food in movies, books and how we interact with it in life rather than a book of recipes. Filled with sympathetic advice and excellent notes on recipe ideas and shopping tips, this is a cookbook unlike any other.

Kimberley Wilson

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2013

Where is she now? Other than popping into the GoodtoKnow office to teach us how to make jam a while back, Kimberley has been busy working with a variety of brands including Persil and Dr. Oetker, creating new recipes for her successful blog, butimhungrynow.com.

Did she release a cook book?: No cook book from Kimberly, however, at the beginning of 2020 she did release a book called How to Build a Healthy Brain (opens in new tab) which is all about ways to reduce stress, anxiety and depression and future-proof your brain. 

2012 Great British Bake Off contestants:

John Whaite

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2012

Where is he now? John Whaite won the 2012 with his show-stopping Heaven and Hell cake. John has opened John Whaite's Kitchen Cookery School in Lancashire, offering courses to teach students to create 'delicious, wholesome food'. He has also written for the Telegraph and was the resident chef on ITV's Lorraine - does the man ever sleep?!

Did he release a cook book?: His cookbooks, John Whaite Bakes (opens in new tab), John Whaite Bakes At Home (opens in new tab), Perfect Plates in 5 Ingredients and Comfort: Food to Soothe the Soul (opens in new tab) are all out now.

James Morton

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2012

Where is he now? James was one of the favourites to win 2012's Bake Off and was known for his patterned jumpers and geek-chic glasses. He's also toured Scotland with his bread baking shows James Morton Kneads to Raise Some Dough and James Morton's Stolen Christmas, founded a very popular baking blog with a large Twitter following and still found time to qualify as a medical doctor, now working for the NHS as a junior doctor.

Did he release a cook book?: Since his run on Great British Bake off, James has written two recipe books, both of which are out now: Brilliant Bread (opens in new tab) and How Baking Works (opens in new tab).Both offer unique insight and artful recipes to introduce readers to the fundamentals of baking.

Brendan Lynch

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2012

Where is he now? We loved talented Brendan and his brilliant bakes, so we're pleased to hear he's busy teaching cookery classes and giving baking demonstrations at food festivals.

Did he release a cookbook?: For the moment, Brendan doesn't have any books out.

2011 Great British Bake Off contestants:

Jo Wheatley

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2011

Where is she now? Bubbly Jo was a popular winner of The Great British Bake Off's 2nd series. She's built a successful baking career since then, with magazine columns and cake classes at her Essex home. She's also been known to pop into GoodtoKnow every now and again to share some delicious bakes with us. Even Nigella is a fan!

Did she release a cookbook?: In 2012, Jo released her first cookbook following her success on the show. Called A Passion for Baking (opens in new tab), the book covers the tips, tricks and family recipes that Jo created in her own kitchen.

Two years later she released Home Baking (opens in new tab), a collection of recipes that she brought her own children up on. Packed with fun ideas to get kids interested in food, it's one of those books that every keen baker should have around the house.

Jo also shares simple tricks and tips to bakers on making easy recipes and hacks to keep kids happy in the kitchen.

Holly Bell

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2011

Where is she now? Busy Holly is pursuing a career in baking. She writes a popular blog called Recipes From a Normal Mum.

Did she release a cookbook? In 2014, Holly released a book with the same name as her blog - Recipes From a Normal Mum was a huge success and went on to receive over 100 hugely positive ratings on Amazon.

As one fan said, "I have never brought a book where I have wanted to make 95% of the recipes. Being a 'normal mum' with 2 crazy toddlers, the quick easy to follow recipes have been just perfect for me. I love it!"

Mary Anne Boermans

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2011

Where is she now? With her jolly personality and encyclopaedic knowledge of baking, Mary-Anne was one of our favourite ever Bake Off contestants.

Did she release a cookbook? Because of this we were first in line to buy her cookbook of historic cake recipes, Great British Bakes, (opens in new tab) which came out in 2013. She has also written Deja Food (opens in new tab), a book classic British dishes, as well as running a blog, timetocookonline.com, where you can try out all of her recent recipes!

2010 Great British Bake Off contestants:

Edd Kimber

Who? Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2010

Where is he now? Talented Edd is one of the Great British Bake Off contestants who has enjoyed lots of success since winning the original Bake Off. He's written three baking books (One Tin Bakes (opens in new tab), Say it with Cake (opens in new tab) and The Boy who Bakes (opens in new tab)), writes a blog called The Boy Who Bakes and has made many TV appearances.

Ruth Clemens

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2010

Where is she now? Ruth Clemens continues to run her popular baking website The Pink Whisk and has written a guide to Cake Decorating and a series of Pink Whisk eBooks. Ruth also helped judge our Jubilee Queen of Cakes contest with Gino D'Acampo. Tough gig!

Miranda Gore-Browne

Who? Runner up of The Great British Bake Off 2010

Where is she now? Original series contestant Miranda was a whizz at making biscuits and has since written her own biscuits cookbook. Mary Berry calls her 'the iced biscuit queen'. Now that's a compliment!

Wh0 have been your favourite Bake Off contestants so far? Comment below