Great British Bake Off favourite Nadiya Hussain is crowned 2015 winner after presenting a wedding cake... as she admits she never had one on her big day
Nadiya Hussain has triumphed in the Great British Bake Off 2015.
Pitted against fellow finalists Tamal Ray, 29, and Ian Cumming, 41, - who seemingly crumbled under the pressure on Wednesday - the three-time Star Baker and bookmakers' favourite was the obvious choice for top bakers Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry.
The Luton-born mum-of-three, 30, burst into tears as she was presented with a bouquet of flowers in front of her husband Abdal and three children, having won with a touching tribute to her family.
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Triumphant: Nadiya Hussain was announced as Great British Bake Off 2015 winner on Wednesday night
The Leeds local, who has been baking since the age of 12, has been under-confident throughout but concluded on Wednesday, 'I'm never going to say I don't think I can again!'
Stay at home mum Nadiya said she would leave the tent 'a much stronger, confident person,' adding, 'I went into the tent as the smallest baker at 4ft 11in but I walked out feeling a giant.'
After the final aired, she took to Twitter with thanks, saying: 'To the amazing people who gave me this opportunity. To my gorgeous baker friends. What a ride . Thank you #GBBO'
Nadiya has been flagged as a firm favourite since the start, gaining the backing of the British Prime Minister David Cameron and also attracting a loyal following from social media users who've fallen for her comical facial expressions.
Importantly for her, fans of the show have watched her whip up fizzy pop cheesecakes, a fiery snake charmer's basket and bubblegum-flavoured pastry nuns while proudly wearing her traditional hijab.
Winner, winner: The three-time Star Baker was congratulated by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood when she came first against Tamal Ray (left) and Ian Cumming (right)
Tear-jerker: The final seemed to have the whole nation weeping for Nadiya's win
Emotional: Mary Berry was there to wipe away the 30-year-old's tears
She originally feared she would be dismissed as a 'Muslim in a headscarf', but told Radio Times, 'I hope that, week by week, people have realised that I can bake - and just because I'm not a stereotypical British person, it doesn't mean that I am not into bunting, cake and tea. I'm just as British as anyone else, and I hope I have proved that.'
A consistent high performer, Nadiya was once again the stand-out contestant on Wednesday's final, impressing the judges with a sentimental Showstopper Cake, inspired by her own wedding.
She paid tribute to her Bangladeshi ceremony to husband Abdal, 34, presenting the cake with regrets for not being able to have a traditional British wedding cake on her big day.
Nadiya - whose family are originally from Bangladesh but moved to Luton - has weaved her heritage into her challenges week after week and as such, decorated her Showstopper Bake with jewels and sarees.
She said: 'I bought a sari that was red, white and blue, in the colours of the Union Jack, and I decorated my stand with that.
'My husband Abdal's favourite cake is lemon drizzle, so I decided to make that. "At the very end of the filming I took the cake out to my family's table and we all had a slice. So my husband and I did get our wedding cake after all.'
Well-deserved: Nadiya came 12th among her contemporaries on week 1, but she was a strong finalist
Finalists: Tamal (left), Nadiya (centre) and Ian (right) were nervous as they waited for the outcome
Reunited: The 12 bakers that competed in the sixth series all returned to see the final
She also related back to the very British theme with the Patriotic colour scheme on her lemon drizzle cake, which was described by Mary as the 'perfect' bake for their winners' tea party.
It had served as a tribute to her husband, a technical manager who over the last 10 weeks has stepped in and taken over what has been her primary role for the last 10 years: a mother to their three children.
Speaking during the show, her other half explained how her confidence in her own baking had been growing, and called her a 'champion in our eyes'.
Though he has been her biggest supporter throughout, he confessed that it had been 'absolutely chaotic in our house' since she left to compete in GBBO.
Show of support: Nadiya, whose children are aged nine, eight and four, was seen getting a cuddle from one of her sons
Family affair: Naturally, Nadiya's family were there to see her steal the crown
Good enough to eat: Nadiya's daughter certainly couldn't keep her hands off the 'perfect' bake
Success: It was smiles all around for the sweet five-piece family
Gathered around: Later, the family got the opportunity to taste the bake
Much like the other 11 contestants, it has been a strain on the bakers' families as well as on the competitors themselves.
Nadiya, whose children are aged nine, eight and four, revealed only recently that one of her sons has been watching GBBO from a hospital bed because he is sick.
Naturally, Nadiya's family were there with a show of support when she finally triumphed on Wednesday's show.
On life after the show, she after the final aired: 'Family life will carry on as normal. Being a mum to three small children under 10 is pretty time consuming, but I wanted to have my own adventure.
'With a very supportive husband and a belief in my own ability, I can now carry on having my adventure. I am really looking forward to see what will happen.'
Also there on the day, were former contestants Flora, Ugne and Mat, who reunited to see Nadiya steal the first place spot from fellow finalists Tamal and Ian.
Impressive: Nadiya's beautiful Lemon Drizzle Cake was deemed 'perfect'
Showstopper: Ian's Curvy Carrot Cake was the best that Paul had ever tasted, he confessed
Nadiya joins previous winners Edd Kimber, John Whaite and Frances Quinn as the one who will be remembered in first place on Series 6.
'As they announced the winner,' she later said. 'All I remember is not wanting to look at anyone, so I looked down at my shoes, my heart was racing in my chest and I could hear it thudding in my head.
'I remember seeing that my shoes were covered in flour, and when I heard my name, I covered my face with my hands as I didn't want anyone to watch me cry.'
The trophy, she says, will be kept in the family living room after being rescued from a suitcase under the belt that helped her keep her win a secret until it finally aired this week.
This year's past contestants obviously weren't the only ones watching on Wednesday because the Twitter critics were vocal about Nadiya’s emotional win.
Her tearful outburst and Mary Berry’s own breakdown in front of cameras prompted sobbing Twitter users to take to social media with their tear-soaked reactions.
In pieces: Fans and celebrity followers took to Twitter to say they found it all very emotional
Moving: Christian O'Connell particularly enjoyed seeing Mary Berry get emotional
Well wishes: Girlband Little Mix had nothing but support for the GBBO winner
Emotional wreck: Adam Mountford
Full of feelings: Emma Kennedy praised the shows final on Wednesday
Cricket producer Adam Mountford tweeted from the UAE: 'Past midnight in Sharjah and I'm an emotional wreck after watching #GBBO Must calm down & go to sleep. Reporting on @englandcricket tomorrow#
Novelist Emma Kennedy wrote: 'I'm I’m SO full of feelings. Let the nation REJOICE #GBBO,’ Adding, 'ps Mary Berry crying finished us all off. MEGA WEEPING on our sofa #GBBO
A weeping Gok Wan tweeted: ‘OMG bake off has me in pieces! What a wonderfully sentimental ending! Well done Nadia! #blubbering’
While Little Mix were in the same boat, ‘eeeeh am crying well done Nadiya petal!’
Another fan Kat Brown was so moved by the fact that Nadiya was making the wedding cake she never had that she turned to a stream of sobbing emojis on her tweet.
Bobby Harding, from Walsall, posted: ‘Mary Berry getting emotional was literally the most heart wrenching thing I've seen, I'll think of that if I have to stage cry.’
Emotional: Nadiya had consistently doubted her own capabilities, but vowed to never do it again
She did it: It seemed like the whole nation had got behind the humble mum-of-three
Mary Berry’s emotional moment to cameras, which is a first in Bake Off history, moved another fan Sinéad Burke who wrote: ‘Mary Berry having to walk off camera due to her being upset. I am an emotional WRECK after #GBBO but what a winner.’
Paul had concluded that the final was the tastiest one in its history, now that the show has been through six cycles since it kicked off in 2010.
Over the weeks, trainee anesthetists Tamal Ray has been known for his impressive flavours and ingenuity but his ambitious nature let him down on the final and his timings were all off.
Utterly original Ian, meanwhile, went one step ahead of his competitors in each of his bakes but neglected one the most fundamental of baking elements in the final, sugar.
Back to watch: Ugne returned to see the three finalists battle it out
Supportive: Flora seemed to be reveling in the opportunity to watch instead of bake
Early favourite: Mat hinted that Nadiya was his favourite to win the show
The Signature Challenge kicked off Wednesday night's final, where hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc set the bakers a challenge of making 16 iced buns in three hours.
As one of Paul's favourite bakes, he explained that the judges' focus would be on icing, flavour and filling.
Reflecting on the atmosphere of the day, Nadiya said this week that it had been 'still and quiet' inside the tent.
'There was a real sense of calm and concentration,' she said. It wasn't just the bakers' last day - it was everyone's last day. We all had a slight sense of sadness that it was all coming to a close.'
Nerves were certainly perceptible and Tamal and Ian didn't exactly follow instructions.
Tamal, opting for citrus marmalade with caramel crème pat and apple with whipped cream buns, decided to immediately disregard this and go for a unflavoured dough.
He was further challenged when his creme pat did not set and he could not include it.
The judges, though disappointed about the creme pat, said that the flavours were 'very good' and concluded that he should not have fallen down on timings in the final.
Crumbling: Ian's bakes didn't measure up on Wednesday night's final
Bad timing: Tamal fell down on timings and ended having to leave parts of his bakes out
Ambitious Ian decided to make two sets of dough with differing flavours, pushing the boat out for the final and keeping him busy right up until the last minute.
The appearance was criticised for 'messiness' by Mary and Paul noticed that Ian had crucially left sugar out of one his flavours.
The second set, nevertheless, was 'sheer heaven' and a 'joy'.
Meanwhile, nervous Nadiya decided to take a different tack and make round iced buns, baked individually and not touching, which had been Paul's specific instructions.
'Tempting,' 'neat' and 'lovely', Mary called Nadiya's iced buns, while Paul said Nadiya's bake was 'ticking all of the boxes.'
Tense: The final week in the Bake Off tent meant that all of the contestants had nerves
Ambitious: Tamal's downfall had been timings when it came to the final day
Worrying faces: He decided to disregard some of the judges' requests
The final Technical Bake, was a raspberry mille feuille in two hours, something that Nadiya had never made before and could not even pronounce.
Pastry had been a sore spot for all three of the bakers throughout the series.
Tamal admitted that he was 'losing control' of the task at one point, complimenting Nadiya as he admitted he was even lacking motivation to complete the task, due to his poor efforts.
'They're a mess,' said Paul when Tamal presented his mille feuille. It was simultaneously labelled 'rushed' and his bake came third overall.
Ian did not perform any better. His syrup was deemed not thick enough and his pastry was undercooked, leaving him in second place and Nadiya's 'strong bake' came in first place.
Finally, the three finalists were challenged to make a single-flavoured, multi-tiered cake in four hours for their Showstopper Bake.
Confusion: In the midst of her nerves, Nadiya's faces were at their best
Yikes: When it came to a mille feuille, Nadiya said she'd never heard of it
Nadiya impressed right to the end with a 'stunning' lemon drizzle cake that Paul deemed 'delicious' and Mary said was 'perfect'.
Tamal's Sticky Toffee Pudding cake was an impressive feat, considering the wet weather just outside the tent and the technical precision that went into the sugar work.
He surprised Mary especially and she said he'd done 'exceedingly well,' while Paul was left feeling very proud of Tamal.
Once again, Ian had let the nerves get to him again and left out oranges out of his bake in the final stages on his Colossal Curvy Carrot Cake.
For something that he said would be a 'waterfall design of a giant carrot,' Mary was impressed by the construction.
He saved the best until last because Paul called it 'one of the best carrot cakes' he'd ever tasted.
Final farewell: The group rallied around for a cuddle after spending so long together in the competition
From gloom to glee for Nadiya, the new queen of Bake Off, Jan Moir's view from the sofa
She said she would rather give birth again than attempt another chocolate soufflé. She cried when she ran out of time to fill her clementine and cod vol-au-vents in week six, and she came last in the technical challenges on more than one occasion. However despite these stumbles, Nadiya Hussain was crowned winner of The Great British Bake Off on BBC1 last night.
Funny and self-deprecating, she had grown in confidence and competence over the ten-week run to become everyone’s favourite – including the Prime Minister, who said he was a fan earlier this week.
Tense moment: Creating her showstopper
The tiny mother of three cried as she was handed the trophy by judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood at the end of a tense, nerve-shredding, cream-piping, bunfight of a final.
‘I went into the tent as the smallest baker, but I came out feeling like a giant,’ said the 30-year-old, who had whipped up everything from a Black Forest gateau to a tottering Charlotte Russe to a snake made out of bread. Don’t ask.
She was joined in the final by trainee anaesthetist Tamal Ray, 29, whose habit of injecting his cakes with fruity syrups must make his patients very nervous. Just relax, this won’t hurt a bit – oh my God, it’s essence of lemon curd!
Last night, Tamal’s triple-layer mille-feuille with fresh raspberries looked as though a double-decker bus packed with mice had crashed into a pastry bridge at speed. It also showed up Paul and Mary’s different approach to criticism.
‘It looks as though one or two of those might topple at any moment,’ said Mary sweetly. ‘They are a mess,’ growled Paul, the whipped peaks of his gelled raccoon hair fairly quivering in disgust.
Completing the competing trio was bakemeister techno wizard Ian Cumming, 41, who came to grief in the final when he made the most basic of errors – forgetting to put sugar in the cardamom dough for his iced buns.
What did that make them taste like, Paul? And please don’t bother to be polite. ‘A crispy bap with icing on it,’ he snapped. It didn’t matter. Hosts Mel and Sue still wolfed them down. It was estimated that an audience of 14million tuned in to watch the final, which took a distinctly surreal turn during the showstopper challenge.
Finalists: The three contestants who battled it out for the title in tonight concluding show
As thunder roared and lightning cracked around the tent, the bakers were asked to produce a single flavoured, multi-tiered, classic British bake. Lots of scope there, you might think. However, Tamal’s interpretation of this was a triple layer Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake inspired by a deserted Chinese village. Of course it was!
No one quite understood the cultural reference, but he battered figs, dates, oranges, lemons and prunes into baking tins, doused it with toffee sauce and hoped for the best. Paul liked his caramel and Mary praised his spun sugar cobwebs. For Ian’s Colossal Curvy Carrot Cake, he baked ten sponges and sandwiched them into five cakes. He had built his own stand for them and it looked like something Mrs Slocombe would have used to display bras in Are You Being Served.
The cakes were decorated with what Sue Perkins described as a ‘cascading liquid carrot’ – which rather made it sound like a colourful euphemism for vomit. Yet Paul said it was the best carrot cake he’d ever tasted, so you never can tell.
However, all eyes were on the Nadinator. She was a deft and neat baker, organised and practical – if occasionally flummoxed by some of the more esoteric bakes during the series. These included the flaouna (a Cypriot cheese thing), the baguette (French naturellement) and the Spanische Windtorte, which is actually Austrian.
But in the final she piped her iced buns with perfect tramlines of jam, won the technical challenge and produced a showstopper that she called My Big Fat British Wedding Cake. It was a giant lemon drizzle decorated with jewels from her wedding day and a red, white and blue sari (she was born in Luton to a Bangladeshi family). Patriotic, multi-cultural and delicious – how could it fail to win?
Nadiya is the kind of young housewife who put her personal ambitions aside ten years ago to raise a family. She entered Bake Off ‘just for myself’. Watching her grow and triumph over the weeks has been a joy.
Shock: Nadiya's reaction after being announced as the winner of the sixth season of Bake Off
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