AFTER 10 weeks of culinary challenges, the 2024 winner of The Great British Bake Off has been crowned. On Tuesday night’s finale, broadcast on Channel 4, Georgie Grasso, a 34-year-old from Carmarthenshire, became the first Welsh contestant to claim victory in the show’s history.
Georgie triumphed over fellow finalists Christiaan and Dylan in a nail-biting conclusion to the much-loved baking competition. The three finalists were all that remained of the initial 12 contestants who had tackled themed weeks devoted to cake, biscuits, bread, caramel, pastry, autumnal bakes, desserts, a retro ’70s week, and patisserie.
Reflecting on her achievement, Georgie said: “This is mad. I have won it, I can’t believe it. This is just incredible.”
The final challenge required the bakers to demonstrate their skills across three tasks: crafting perfect scones, curating a quintessential afternoon tea, and constructing an intricate hanging tiered celebration cake. Georgie’s efforts wowed the judges, with Paul Hollywood describing her cake as “full of flavour and full of life” and declaring that the “Welsh wonder” had “smashed it out of the park.”
Prue Leith also praised Georgie’s work, saying: “Georgie did what she does best – classic British baking beautifully done, and won it and quite right too.”
The journey to victory was deeply personal for Georgie, who has struggled with self-doubt in the past. She shared: “I have got this and that wrong with me and think I can’t do it, and you make excuses. For once I thought I am just going to go for it and put my everything into it. Working all hours and I sacrificed time with the kids and the family.”
Her win, she said, was a moment of immense pride: “I am just so proud of myself. My heart is racing… and I am already feeling sad that I am not coming back here and not seeing everyone. The people I have met are going to be best friends for life. This is the best thing I have ever done.”
Georgie’s beaten competitors were Christiaan, 33, originally from the Netherlands and now working for a fashion firm in London, and Dylan, 20, from Buckinghamshire, whose heritage includes Indian, Japanese, and Belgian roots.
