Rotherham ’s Dr Rahul Mandal endeared himself to the nation with his unassuming, friendly nature , and his scientific approach to baking helped him create some spectacular showstoppers. He triumphed in series nine of the popular Channel 4 series in 2018 after overcoming disaster when a glass jar shattered in the extreme heat during the final, sending shards flying into his cake mixture. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Star, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
Since his success on the show, he has continued to work as an engineering researcher at the University of Sheffield ’s Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, where he is currently technical lead. The 37-year-old, who was born and raised in Kolkata, India , came to the UK in 2010 to study for his PhD at Loughborough University, and he joined the Nuclear AMRC in Catcliffe five years later. He returned to GBBO for The Great New Year's Bake Off 2020/21 special, in which he was again victorious against three other star bakers from previous series, Helena, Henry and Nancy.
Alongside his work as a scientist, he has written a column for The Times Magazine, cooked on the ITV show This Morning and penned his own cookbook, Showstopping Cakes: Mastering the Art and Science of Baking. Advertisement Advertisement In December 2022, Rahul married Shreya in his native Kolkata.