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. Sharing photos of the ceremony, he thanked his many social media followers for their ‘beautiful and kind messages’, touchingly describing them as ‘a part of our extended family’.
Rahul described how his and Shreya’s relationship began as a long distance one and they would ‘talk for hours’. He liked showing her the local gardens and parks near his home in Rotherham where he enjoyed walking, he explained, saying ‘I loved her joy of seeing so many flowers everywhere’. They have continued to embrace their love of the outdoors since tying the knot, spending many happy hours in their local Clifton Park and enjoying visits to Sheffield Botanical Gardens as well as other beauty spots around the UK.
Advertisement Advertisement Describing their typical weekend together, Rahul said that after having breakfast and baking, he and Shreya tend to head to the market and do their weekly shopping in Rotherham town centre, where they love exploring the little shops and chatting to the shopkeepers. Rahul’s generosity knows no bounds. As a STEM ambassador, he runs fun ‘science of baking’ events for youngsters in an effort to pass on his passion and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
He has also supported the Weston Park Cancer Charity’s Time for Tea campaign , encouraging people to get baking and raise crucial funds for people affected by cancer. In September 2023, he put his cookery skills to good use by completing a 12-hour baking marathon, staying up until 2am to make a delicious array of treats which he sold the next day to work colleagues to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Advertisement Advertisement Rahul has opened up to his followers on social media, where he often shares mouthwatering photos of his intricate confectionery masterpieces, about being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Keep up to date on everything in Sheffield and South Yorkshire with The Star’s free newsletter delivered straight to your inbox He told how since the diagnosis, he has tried to walk more and make some ‘positive lifestyle changes’. He added: “Don't think I was ever bad with food , but just love carbs too much.” Rahul frequently speaks of his love for GBBO, having made friends for life through the show.
In one moving post, he described how the programme ‘gave me family away from home: brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and everyone else’..
