John Whaite

John Whaite is an English baker who won the third series of The Great British Bake Off in 2012. He works as a chef, television presenter, and author. He's had a weekly cooking slot on Lorraine and he was a presenter and judge on the ITV daytime cookery competition show Chopping Block.

Early life
John Whaite was born in Chorley and grew up on a farm in Wrightington. He has two sisters, Jane and Victoria. He became interested in baking when he was five after his parents divorced.[citation needed] He won a place at Oxford to read modern and medieval languages, but switched to study Law at the University of Manchester so as to be nearer to home. He gained a first-class degree after sitting his law exams while filming Bake Off, and worked briefly as a banker in the Royal Bank of Scotland's asset finance department. He rejected a career in law or banking after winning the series, and opted to take classes at Le Cordon Bleu to pursue a career in cookery. However, in 2018 he decided to refocus on law.

Personal life
Whaite lives with his partner Paul Atkins, a graphic designer, in Lancashire. He announced their engagement on 21 July 2017.