Former UCP student, turned PE Teacher, Matty Edgell, won the 2023 series of Channel 4s ‘Great British Bake Off’ on Tuesday 28th November!
Matty, who teaches at Hampton College admitted that he didn’t apply to go onto the show, it was in fact his fiancée Lara who was the catalyst for applying: “You have to send off photographs of your bakes, that’s how I clocked on to what Lara was doing."
The 28-year-old spoke about he first got into baking, “My nan passed away when I was five so I don’t remember much about her, so I guess in away baking as a youngster was way of subconsciously being closer to her.”
Matty baked black forest and banoffee eclairs for his final signature bake before coming third in the lardy cake slice technical; however, it was his final showstopper cake which was the deciding factor for the judges.
Paul Hollywood spoke about crowning Matty champion, “I have never met a more smiling, uncomplaining and willing baker, he was just having a good time learning as much as he could, taking on board anything on us and he’s got just better and better."
He continued, “If you’re going to smash it in the last challenge that’s what you do; that chocolate cake was one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve had for a long time.”
The Stanground Sports footballer admitted he is a far better baker than a footballer: “I’m definitely more confident in myself now.”
Mr Edgell spoke at the end of the final episode, saying: “People say you should go on Bake Off and I thought it was like a throw away comment, I never thought I would be on this let alone win it.”
Matty said his proudest moment was the handshake from Paul Hollywood: “In that moment it's complete validation from an opinion that matters so much to you in that process.
“The two star bakes that I won, came at the right time for me in terms of a confidence boost, the handshake coincided with that.”
The 28-year-old admitted that there were a few times in the series where he felt he was in danger of leaving: “The botanicals weeks was probably a highlight low and as close as I got to leaving, they didn’t think my showstopper looked like one which is valid as I don’t have much in the way of creativity and imagination.
“I’m not making another steamed pudding – I’m glad that the bake coincided with others struggling also with the technical.”
Matty has said he is open to what happens next in his career: “I’m going to bake my wedding cake for next year!
“Myself and Lara will probably make some content on the process, but so far all we know is it’s going to be three tiers.”
He continued: “I’m in the fortunate position of I never applied so I never had any kind of ulterior motive as to what I wanted to achieve off the back.
“Overall the experience was so unique, it was like venturing into the unknown, I didn’t really know what to expect, the people that you never get to see behind the scenes are so attentive and so aware of how out of normality is for you.”
Looking back at his time on the show, he added: “That final cake probably encompasses the whole journey that I went on, it showed from the start till the end with the things that I learned and I think that final showstopper cake embodies that all.”