IT’S been 12 years since the Great British Bake Off first hit our screens – and who knew cake could cause so much drama?
From Baked Alaska-gate to showstoppers that ended in tiers (ah hem), the reality show has become a British institution – and a global phenomenon.
The first series of Great British Bake Off looked very different to what it does now
The show started its life on BBC Two, airing in August 2010, but has since moved to Channel 4.
Back then it was hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins – aka Mel and Sue – with Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry judging.
These days Paul is joined by Prue Leith, while hosts Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding have maintained the off-the-wall humour of their predecessors.
With Bake Off returning to our screens for a new series, here we take a look at where the first ever contestants are now.
Edward Kimber
Edd Kimber was the winner of the very first series of Bake Off
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Edd Kimber was Bake Off’s first ever winner – and his life is a far cry from when he took part in the show.
He promptly ditched his debt collector job after the show and became a full-time food writer.
Edd has since authored six cookbooks, including Say It With Cake, The Boy Who Bakes and, most recently, Small Batch Bakes.
Along the way, Edd worked at Raymond Blanc’s prestigious restaurant Le Manoir and had a stint as the resident baker on The Alan Titchmarsh Show.
He currently hosts the popular Stir the Pot podcast, where he interviews chefs and other food writers.
Annetha Mills
Annetha Mills is still baking and also singing, songwriting and writing poetry
Annetha Mills had a promising start to the competition and was one of Paul and Mary’s favourites in week one thanks to a light Jamaican Black Cake with strawberries and cream.
However, biscuits proved to be her downfall as she was eliminated the following week.
Annetha is still baking, and describes herself as a rum cake baker on Twitter – as well as a singer, poet and songwriter.
She has seemingly taken a keen activism role as she campaigns for women’s rights among other causes.
Lea Harris
Lea Harris was the first ever person eliminated from Bake Off
Scottish contestant Lea Harris has the dubious accolade of being the first ever person to be eliminated from Bake Off, after being sent home at the end of week one.
Despite her early departure, she has stuck with baking.
She runs a successful blog called Off The Eaten Track and won the Hospitality Honour award in 2018 at The Scottish Food Awards.
Her social media bio reads: “Food – my passion; in words, pictures, cooking, eating but most of all in sharing!”
Miranda Gore Browne
Miranda Gore Browne is probably one of the most well-known from the first series
Miranda Gore Browne got to the finals of the first series, and was highly praised for her homemade biscuits – baked in the shape of dainty shoes and dresses.
Her career took off after the series, and she’s probably one of the series’ most well-known faces.
BISCUIT, Miranda’s debut book, was released in 2012 and includes recipes for a delectable selection of, yep, you guessed it – biscuits.
Her second book, Bake Me A Cake As Fast As You Can, was released two years later.
In 2018 Miranda became the Food Columnist for NFU Countryside Magazine, where she shares food inspiration and recipes.
She lives with her husband and three small children in the pretty South Downs National Park.
Mark Whithers
Mark Whithers sadly died of cancer in May 2013
Along with Lea, Mark Whithers left Bake Off in the first week.
The beloved Welsh bus driver sadly died of cancer in May 2013, aged 51.
Following his tragic death, Mark’s wife Elaine and son Jethro decided to transform their garden in his memory.
She said: “We have quite a big garden, and Mark loved roses, so we designed a rose garden with climbing roses, shrub roses, bush roses, flora bunda and many more.
“It went from a weed alley to a beautiful rose garden.”
Johnny Shepherd
Johnny Shepherd opened the very successful Pudding Stop in St Albans
Johnny Shepherd may have not reached it to the finals of Bake Off, but that certainly didn’t dull his baking spark.
He now owns The Pudding Stop in St. Albans, Hertfordshire – a dessert cafe with brownies and blondies to die for.
He’s even written his own cookbook, simply titled Puddings.
Louise Brimelow
Louise Brimelow started up her own business BLouBerry Cakes
Former police office Louise Brimelow went out in the second week.
But that didn’t stop her from baking, as she started up her own business, BlouBerry Cakes, in 2014.
She also now works as a security manager at Selfridges in Manchester.
Ruth Clemens
Ruth Clemens has written a whole host of her own cookery books
Ruth Clemens finished in second place and has since taken the baking world by storm, creating her own recipe-sharing website called the Pink Whisk.
She’s also written a whole host of cookery books, including The Pink Whisk Guide to Bread Making and her latest, Creative Éclairs.
Ruth said: “My life has completely changed and I owe it all to Bake Off!”
Jasminder Randhawa
Jasminder Randhawa continues to bake for pleasure and for charity
Assistant credit control manager Jasminder Randhawa went out of Bake Off in the fourth round.
She continues to bake for pleasure, and for charity, and said in 2014: “We had no idea that Bake Off would become such a hit.
“Everyone says I was in it too early, but I think our series was the best because we had no pressure on us and we got to travel around the country.
“I am definitely hooked on baking. I do it even more now, but purely for pleasure or to help charities.
“I get the urge to bake something and then I take it into work to share.”
