Bake Off’s Rahul was a bread cert
BIG BAKE OFF FINAL: RAHUL RISES TO TOP
ON your marks... get set... break! Rahul Mandal won The Great British Bake Off last night, smashing it in the final despite having to cope when a jar shattered and spiked his cake mix with shards of glass.
As temperatures in the tent hit 32C the storage jar spontaneously exploded during the Showstopper and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith gave Rahul 15 minutes extra to finish his creation.
The 30-year-old research scientist regained his composure to create an incredible edible garden with almost 200 components, securing victory against fellow finalists Ruby Bhogal and Kim-Joy.
Shy Rahul said: “I never ever dreamed I would get into Bake Off, let alone win it. Winning Bake Off is about the coolest thing that I have done in my life.
“I hope it will help me gather some more confidence. I hope it helps me try new things and be a bit more adventurous in baking and life itself.”
TRICKY
The other challenges involved making doughnuts and baking bread on a campfire. Rahul said: “Growing up in India we didn’t ever eat doughnuts, so I have never had one, let alone made one.
“The technical was as usual something out of our comfort zone – baking bread on an open fire. Ironically, in India we do cook chapati on an open fire, but not necessarily in a field.
“I wanted to combine my love of gardening with baking for my Rock Garden, but it was very tricky.”
Talking of the moment the jar broke, he said: “I got such a shock because it came out of nowhere, I was busy making caramel, toasting hazelnuts and making a chocolate cake mixture.
“It broke into a thousand pieces and went in everything – so it all had to be chucked.
“It almost broke me. I really thought that was it. Fortunately I was able to prove I could finish it.”
He said presenter Sandi Toksvig was a big support.
“She kissed me on the forehead and that helped calm me down. I used to call her Auntie Sandi.”
He got on well with her co-host Noel Fielding, too, although he admits: “I didn’t always get what he was talking about. But I now know who Luke Skywalker is and what a fist bump is.
“It was funny when Noel described the finalists – Kim-Joy as whimsical, Ruby as stroppy and he asked me what I was
I don’t think he realises how good he is. That’s the magic of Rahul PAUL HOLLYWOOD GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF JUDGE
and I said, ‘depressing’. Well, I was at that moment. It was so stressful.” But he got a boost from Paul and Prue. He said: “I was so pleased when Paul praised me for my bakes and Prue often praised me for my flavours. I am not very good at accepting compliments. I am quite shy as a person. I tend to show my
emotions too much, but everything is on the surface with me. I really do wear my heart totally on my sleeve.”
During the series, Rahul received three Hollywood Handshakes, and was awarded Star Baker twice.
Praising their 2018 series winner, Prue, 78, said: “I think the amazing thing about Rahul and why I am so proud of him is that he came in unconfident, but he just kept going, and never reined in his ambition. He always tried to do a bit more than everybody else, and it paid off.”
On the show, Paul, 52, told Rahul: “Your mother will be very proud of you.”
Later, he said: “He is one of those characters that you will miss when you are not with him. You know, his intensity sometimes is amazing, and he is so good at what he does, but I don’t think he realises still how good he actually is and I think that’s what’s magic about Rahul.”
Runner-up Kim-Joy, 27, said “I am so, so pleased for Rahul. I can just tell people that I was in the final, it speaks for itself.”
INSANE
Ruby, 30, said: “I have been working with 11 other insane bakers, it has been hands down the best experience of my life. I would not change it at all.”
Rahul grew up in Kolkata – formerly Calcutta – and moved to the UK on a university scholarship when he was 23.
After his victory, which was prerecorded in the summer, he wrapped his trophy in a pillowcase and hid it in the linen cupboard to keep his win secret. He said: “I watched the final with my parents, who are over from India, and friends and colleagues. It was very emotional, but it was lovely to have the people who have helped me throughout my Bake Off journey watch it with me.
“Bake Off has given me a new family. Everyone in the Bake Off tent supported me in a weird and wonderful way. It was a very lovely experience with so many happy memories that I will never forget.”
He said his worst moments were in Week Eight when Manon left, and he “felt so much guilt”, and when his cake collapsed in Vegan Week. He said: I had dedicated the cake to my late grandmother, who I was very close to, and I felt that I had let her down.”
He said his favourite challenge was the spiced biscuit chandelier. He said: “I’ll definitely make it again at Christmas.”
As he was announced the winner, Rahul said: “This is probably the first time that I have got something like this, like a trophy. I talk so much, most of the time, and I just don’t know what to say. ”
JK Rowling tweeted that he could be Prime Minister, and Harry Potter fan Rahul said: “That was absolutely magic.”
As a scientist, he said baking was a mix of physics, engineering and chemistry and he aims to “make the science behind baking more accessible to everyone”. But for now he has a different priority. “What’s next for me? I am going to start learning how not to say sorry so much... Sorry about that.”