Great British Weight Off... Slimline Bake Off favourite has shed f ive stone since his chubby teenage days, his dad reveals
HE HAS risen to the occasion on both episodes of The Great British Bake Off after its switch to Channel 4, thanks to his outstanding cookery skills.
Triumphing with his BLT sandwich cake and bi s cuit chess board, Steven Carter-Bailey has delighted the judges.
But his culinary talents have also helped him with a remarkable deflation – he has shed an astonishing five stone since swapping junk food for home cooking.
Now, for the first time, Bake Off fans can see marketing manager Steven, 34, as he was before he got serious about cooking. Facebook pictures of him as a teenager, posted by his father Michael James, show a
‘Just love the chubby cheeks and both chins’
chubby figure unrecognisable from the slim, suave baker he is today.
In one photograph, he stands hand on hip with his sister Katie James, to whom he has said he is very close. He is also pictured as a podgy child, smiling alongside her and their two younger brothers, Joseph and Jack.
Mr Carter-Bailey, who is favourite to win the new series after being the star baker for two weeks in a row, took a light- hearted quip at his embarrassment at one of the chubby teenager photographs, commenting: ‘50 quid to remove it… what the **** happened to me?’
His father, who lives in Bucking- hamshire, replied: ‘Just love those chubby cheeks and both chins.’
He has hinted at a difficult relationship with Mr Carter-Bailey, who chose to change his surname. Speaking about his son, Mr James admitted: ‘I don’t see him very much at all. I see his sister more. Steven is 34 years old, he can do what he likes. If he wants to paint his face black and walk on his hands, he can.
‘I’m not really interested. I don’t watch Bake Off. I would have been much more interested if he had joined the military or was a lorry driver.’
Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith have described Mr CarterBailey’s bakes as ‘perfect’ and ‘exquisite’, which has left fans of the former BBC show curious as to whether he is a professional chef – contradicting Bake Off rules.
Although there is no evidence that he is anything but a keen home baker, his Instagram page boasts some impressive creations, including a Minions-themed cake.