Why Rahul Mandal Is The One GBBO Contestant Prue Leith Will 'Never Forget'
Spoiler alert! Stop reading now if you haven't watched the season 13 finale of GBBO.
Fans of "The Great British Bake Off" can now sleep easily again. The finale of season 13 of this mega-popular baking competition is behind us. During the season, as is always the case, we enjoyed seeing many signature, technical, and showstopping bakes made by the slightly stressed but lovable contestants. The 32-year-old cardiovascular research associate, Syabira, was crowned the UK's Best Amateur Baker, primarily due to her incredible skills and the addition of Malaysian flavors to traditional British desserts and dishes (per Radio Times).
And just as last time, the authority on bread, Paul Hollywood, and culinary expert Prue Leith were back on the show as firm but fair judges. Back in 2017, when GBBO moved from BBC to Channel 4, Leith replaced Mary Berry as a judge and said (at the time) that judging GBBO "would be her dream," (via The Guardian). Over the years, many ambitious bakers competed in the big white tent, but Leith says there is only one GBBO contestant she'll never forget.
Prue Leith says that Rahul Mandal is the sweetest man
GBBO judge Prue Leith says she'll never forget one GBBO contestant — Rahul Mandal. Mandal was crowned the winner of GBBO Season 9 when he used his engineering skills and passion for baking to get to the top of the competition. After his win, Mandal continued to impress people with beautiful bakes on his Instagram account. He also wrote a cookbook called "Showstopping Cakes: Mastering the Art and Science of Baking" (via ENews). The GBBO judge Leith, who also has a new cookbook called "Bliss on Toast," talked to People and said that she'd remember Mandal as long as she lives.
Leith praised the baker for his tremendous intellect, which seemingly contrasts with his shy and nervous appearance. But those are the things that make him so lovable. Leith concluded that Mandal is "the sweetest man and an absolutely amazing baker." It's heartwarming to see such positive comments from Leith, who became Public Enemy No. 1 after her kitten drowning admission in her memoir "I'll Try Anything Once." And GBBO was also under fire for its Mexican Week episode, so now that Season 13 is over, it's nice to see the judges focus on positive things such as remembering past bakers.