“I’d love to have my very own little shop one day”

The Great British Bake Off 2016 winner, candice Brown, 32, lives in Bedford with her boyfriend, liam. her first book, Comfort: Delicious Bakes and Family Treats, is out now.

The other bakers from Bake off will be friends for life

when i found myself on Bake Off, i felt really out of my depth. i was sure i was going to be found out. that’s why i got so upset when things didn’t go right; i was embarrassed and thought that people would think i was rubbish.

i certainly didn’t expect to win. and i didn’t expect any of the things that happened next. the past year has been the most amazing, crazy, brilliant year ever. i’ve got to go to the baFtas and the pride of britain awards – and now i’ve got a book out. i never thought that would happen. i wrote it all myself without any help and i’m very proud of it.

at some point, i’d love to have my very own little shop. it won’t be anything big or fancy. i’d sell vintage kitchenware and a few nice cakes and some good food.

i’ve been with liam for five years now and we work so well together. he’s been really supportive, my biggest cheerleader – the one that picked me up and dusted me down when things weren’t going well.

every so often someone will ask if we’re engaged. we aren’t, but we know that one day we will get married. we don’t need to be engaged, though – we’re really happy together. we’ve just moved to a new place together, but it’s a temporary rental – i’m still dreaming about my big kitchen, which will hopefully come soon. we’re passionate about our dogs. we have dennis the pug, who is such a diva. and in april, we rescued a pomeranian called sybil. she’s blind in one eye and wonky on three legs, but she’s absolutely delightful.

my family is amazing. they are a really important part of my life; they are everything to me. we are very close and i’m very lucky. i’m a real family girl – i like a pint of cider, a pack of pork scratchings and talking about the football with my dad.

my nan was the kindest person in the whole world. if i could be half the woman she was, i know i’ll be ok. she died ten years ago and it feels like yesterday. she was the apple of my eye and she was the reason i baked – my inspiration. she was an incredible cook and baker, and my book is my ode to her.

my best friend anna is the blondey to my brownie. she is just great and has just had a baby, who i’m utterly in love with. i have a great group of friends; we call ourselves a wolfpack. i also have great friends from school and, since Bake Off, i have 11 other friends i speak to on a daily basis on whatsapp. i hope we will be lifelong friends.

doing Bake Off hasn’t changed me at all. i’d drive myself mad if i was anyone but myself, and i think my family and friends might have something to say about it as well. i’m all for the simple things in life – i’d rather have happiness, and what liam and i have got, than anything else.

comfort: delicious bakes and Family treats by Candice Brown (Ebury Press) is out now. w&h