'The Great British Bake Off: Holidays' seasons bring together fan favorites from past seasons for another shot at glory. Where are the winners now?
Warning: SPOILERS for The Great British Bake Off: Holidays ahead.
As if regular editions of The Great British Bake Off (or, The Great British Baking Show, as it's technically referred to in the United States) weren't enough to get you excited about making ambitious confections for the holidays, the series releases Christmas-centric specials on Netflix just in time for the festive season.
Fan favorites from past seasons head back to the tent for the chance to win Christmas Star Baker.
Though four bakers enter the tent at the beginning of each special, only one can secure the title (and Paul Hollywood's praise).
Where are GBBO: Holidays winners now? Keep reading to find out what the holiday baking experts are up to now (note: the order and episode numbers for the winners are based on Netflix's catalog, which is out of order from the original airing on Channel 4).
Paul Jagger (Season 1, Episode 1)
Who can forget Paul's epic lion bake during Bread Week in Series 6 (Chapter 3 for Netflix audiences in the U.S.)? Paul Hollywood himself praised it as one of the best bread designs he had ever seen.
After making a few impressive Victorian sweets in the Quarterfinals on his original season, Paul was sent home.
On the holiday special, he impressed the judges with his penguin snow globes. He won the title of Christmas Star Baker against Beca Lyne-Pirkis, Val Stones, and Selasi Gbormittah.
Since his second appearance on the show, Paul has continued working as a prison governor. Before the pandemic, Paul was participating in baking events like The Cake & Bake Show and Cake International.
And, yes, he still makes epic bread designs.
Rav Bansal (Season 1, Episode 2)
Series 7 alum (Collection 4 on Netflix) Rav Bansal beat out Sandy Docherty, Benjamina Ebuehi, and Rob Billington in the second and final episode of Holidays Season 1. His impressive Frozen Fantasy Cake featured techniques like spun sugar and ombre frosting, winning him the title of Christmas Star Baker. Following that victory on the show, Rav has hosted the podcast, Do You Wear that in the Shower? He publicly came out as gay at the close of Pride Month in 2019.
"...For many years now I have deliberately held back from talking about my personal life out of fear of judgement and rejection, unable to reconcile feelings about my faith, the colour of my skin, my body and my sexuality... I can say this now with a smile on my face, as a proud British, Indian, Sikh, Gay man who sometimes enjoys eating cake a little too much...." he wrote in the caption of his coming-out post.
"It may have taken me many years to be comfortable enough to say this, but I am determined to use my voice to do what I can to help other who may be struggling with the same issues I did," he continued, before thanking his immediate family members for their support.
Jane Beedle (Season 2, Episode 1)
Jane competed with fellow alums Liam Charles, Andrew Smyth, and Flo Atkins. She immediately impressed the judges with her signature challenge, and the others never really had a chance when it came down to her present-shaped Showstopper cake.
These days, Jane runs a cookery school called Jane's Kitchen on a farm in Kent. She launched the program in 2020. She appeared on the morning show, Lorraine, and she often hosts or competes at baking events.
Steven Carter-Bailey (Season 2, Episode 2)
In arguably one of the most talented groups of bakers, Steven came out on top against Candice Brown, Kate Henry, and Tamal Ray. For the showstopper round, the contestants were tasked with creating a 3-D New Year's Resolution cake.
Steven made a communication design because he wanted to get better with time management and contacting his loved ones.
Like many other GBBO stars, Steven also frequents food festivals. He's used his platform to advocate for suicide prevention, and he hosts a program on Tring Radio.
Briony Williams (Season 3, Episode 1)
The Series 9 contestant wooed the judges with her gingerbread train station in the Showstopper round, and she narrowly beat Yan Tsou, Terry Hartill, and Tom Hetherington.
She's continued to raise awareness about disabilities, and she recently spoke out against The Witches film. Briony is currently a presenter on Channel 4's Food Unwrapped. She lives in Bristol with her husband, Steve, and their daughter, Nora.
Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Season 3, Episode 2)
In this special episode, instead of past GBBO contestants, the cast of Netflix's Derry Girls competed in the tent for the chance to win.
Saoirse, who plays Erin Quinn on the show won on-set bragging rights against Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (Michelle Mallon), Dylan Llewellyn (Martin Jono Johnson), Siobhan McSweeney (Sister Michael), and Nicola Coughlan (Clare Devlin).
Along with the rest of the cast, Saoirse-Monica is working on Season 3 of Derry Girls. Production for the new series was set to begin in the spring of 2020, but it has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The first three seasons of The Great British Bake Off: Holidays are available to stream on Netflix now.
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