Who is Rahul Mandal? Meet the Great British Bake Off 2018 contestant

UPDATE: Rahul has been crowned the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2018. Re-live his greatest moments here

The Rotherham-based 30-year-old only began to bake when he moved from Kolkata to the UK at the age of 23, discovering a world of new flavours and cuisines which have inspired his "east-meets-west" baking style.

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"Even five years ago I really had no idea about The Great British Bake Off," he says. But persistent pressure from one of his colleagues who knew about his fondness for baking led him to throw his hat in the ring.

"He kept sending me the application link, until I said to him that I have started applying," he says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N17FPEDEXnc

Still, he reckons most of his friends and co-workers will be shocked that he's won a place on the show: "I think pretty much everybody I know will be surprised. They know I bake, but not to the scale that I could enter the tent. Colleagues I knew during my PhD don’t have a clue that I can bake. Back in India I didn’t bake either. All of them and actually myself are surprised that I made it into the tent.

Though he spends a lot of time carefully planning out his more intricate bakes, Rahul concedes that he is not very tidy.

"I am a very messy baker and viewers will see that," he says. "My flat is quite small and so it's even messier at home, a bit issue!"

And, if he was to create a new flavour of crisp in the GBBO tent, it would be pilau rice or palak (spinach) paneer.

Rahul's Bake Off journey

Rahul felt Paul Hollywood's wrath in Patisserie Week, when he was scolded for not glazing his fruit and creating "hideous" mille feuilles and "boring" eclairs - but he still made it through to the final.

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1054826007591559175

In a major twist for Bake Off 2018's most consistent contestant, Danish Week proved disastrous for Rahul, who managed to get through to the semi-finals by the skin of his teeth, despite baking raw bread and burnt pancakes.

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1052284893680545792

In Pastry Week, teacher's pet Rahul received ANOTHER Hollywood Handshake...

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1047204883533914114

But obviously still managed to find something to get stressed about...

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1047205945116381185

"Little genius" Rahul is getting so good that it's actually starting to grate on Paul. Here is a video of him apologising for being too talented in Spice Week. Classic Rahul.

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1044668064552415233

Once again, Rahul was pure comedy gold during Dessert Week.

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1042144710918393856

Rahul received the honour of Star Baker for the second time in a row during Bread Week - and won over viewers with his fascination with pheasants...

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1039598406128283648

And the fact he bakes to make friends...

https://twitter.com/scottygb/status/1039611852014202880

Rahul's luck picked up in Cake Week when he claimed what Paul Hollywood called the first EVER showstopper Hollywood Handshake and took the Star Baker title, too.

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1037069674549325824

While Rahul seriously impressed with his showstopper selfie, it wasn't all high praise for the baker in Biscuit Week – especially when Paul praised how well he'd portrayed his "chubby little face" in biscuit form.

https://twitter.com/Gin_o_saurus/status/1034532920554336257

Still, he's at least quickly won a new fan in former Bake Off star Tamal Ray.

https://twitter.com/DrRayBakes/status/1034518436615991297

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPrc22c6TR4

Rahul Mandal: Key Facts

Age: 30

Job: Research scientist

Location: Rotherham

The Great British Bake Off airs Tuesdays on Channel 4 at 8pm