Top 10 Great British Bake-Off Contestants

Series 7 brought with it the most chilled out contestant that “The Great British Bake Off” has ever seen. Despite the stress and panic that we have seen “Bake Off” bring, Selasi defied all expectations. He was always stood around calmly, sporting his signature smile, while all the other bakers were rummaging around trying to complete their bakes. Sadly, Selasi just missed out on the final and, surprisingly, was never awarded Star Baker. Even with the lack of Star Baker awards, Selasi still made some impressive bakes and all without ever cracking under the pressure.

Diana was a quiet contestant on Series 5 of “Bake Off” and consistently made it through each week. Until week 4 when controversy struck the Bake Off tent in the form of ‘bingate.’ Diana left fellow contestant Iain’s Baked Alaska out of the freezer, causing him to throw away his bake and present Mary and Paul with a bin, rather than a completed Baked Alaska. Diana and Iain became household names that week and unfortunately, Diana left the competition the following week due to health reasons. Her time on the show was short lived, but viewers do love a bit of drama!

After seeing a rise in popularity, Bake Off was moved from BBC2 to BBC1 from series 5 onwards. And it is this season that saw Nancy take the crown. She had only taken Star Baker once as opposed to series favourite, Richard, who took it five times, a bake off record! Even with this, Nancy had been consistent throughout the series. When it came to the final, Nancy wowed the judges with her Pièce Montée which she designed to look like Paris’ Moulin Rouge. What a masterpiece.

The youngest contestant of Series 4, Ruby made it all the way to the final of the series and left as runner up. She received Star Baker 3 times, more than anyone else in series 4. Ruby was a quiet and very emotional contestant and viewers loved her. At the time of filming, Ruby was in the middle of studying at university and since starring on the show she has gone on to finish her degree and has now written two baking books. Luckily, being runner up didn’t hold her career back.

Series 3 was when “The Great British Bake Off” really started to become the beloved British television show that it is today. And for the first time across all series of the show, all three finalists were men - and James Morton was one of them. He won star baker more times than anyone else in series 3, wowed viewers with some eye-catching jumpers and left the show as a runner up. He has since gone on to build a successful baking blog and has written two books. He has also graduated university with a degree in medicine and is pursuing a career as a doctor.

A surprising victor, Frances became the winner of Series 4 despite fellow baker Ruby being the favourite to win throughout the series. But it’s easy to see why she came out on top. She only won Star Baker once, but was constantly making successful bakes. What Frances was really known for was her stunning presentation. Her imagination was endless and some of the designs she came up with were fascinating, from her Giant Chilli Chocolate and Ginger Matchsticks, to her Secret Squirrel Cake, her creativity was out of this world.

Throughout series 6 Tamal was constantly successful. He was never considered for elimination and was a regular favourite of the judges. He made it all the way to the final and left as a runner up. This is made all the more impressive when you learn that he was training to be an anaesthetist at the same time. Since competing on “Bake Off” he has completed his training and has actually left baking as a hobby. Instead, he has pursued his medical career, hosting his own television show on Channel 4 named “Be Your Own Doctor.”

Series 3 started a huge rise to prominence for “The Great British Bake Off” and winner John, beat favourite to win Brendan to take the crown. Throughout the series he only won Star Baker once, but his consistently good bakes and impressive finale had him emerge champion. Since the show he has gone on to have a successful baking career, he has written three cookbooks, opened his own cookery school on his family’s farm and is a resident chef on ITV’s “Lorraine.” He has also used his baking skills to raise money for charity, providing baking workshops for charity Bake a Smile.

Runner up in Series 3, Brendan won Star Baker twice and was a regular favourite of the judges. He was tipped to win throughout but was beaten to the title by John Whaite. He created some impressive and creative bakes in his time on the show, including a gingerbread birdhouse. He has gone on to provide cookery classes, mainly working with dementia sufferers where he talks to them about baked goods they remember from their childhood and helps them recreate them. He also has a successful twitter channel and website where he shares his bakes so you can make them too.

Winner of series 6, Nadiya was adored by the British public during her time on “The Great British Bake Off.” Her comic genius and infinite facial expressions made her one of the highlights of the series. And, unsurprisingly, she won after constant successful bakes and 3 Star Baker awards. Her career has been nonstop since. She was invited to bake the Queen’s 90th Birthday cake, she was given her own show named “The Chronicles of Nadiya” where she traced her culinary roots back to Bangladesh and has since been given another show called “Nadiya’s British Food Adventure.” We just can’t get enough of her!