John Whaite

John Robert Whaite(born 23 May 1989)is an English baker who won thethird seriesofThe Great British Bake Offin 2012.  He works as a chef, television presenter, and author.
John Whaite was born inChorley, Lancashire, and grew up on a farm inWrightington.He has two sisters, Jane and Victoria.He became interested in baking at the age of seven, after his parents divorced.As a teenager, following childhood mocking, he decided to change his surname from Cunningham to his mother's maiden name, and did so when he was at college.
He won a place atOxfordto read Modern and Medieval Languages, but switched to study Law at theUniversity of Manchesterto be nearer to home.In 2012 he gained a first-class degreeafter sitting for his law exams while filmingBake Off. He also  completed a summer scheme with top law firmEversheds Sutherlandand worked briefly as a banker in theRoyal Bank of Scotland's asset finance department.He rejected a career in law or banking after winning the series, and took classes atLe Cordon Bleuin London to pursue a career in cooking.
In 2012, Whaite took part in thethird seriesofThe Great British Bake OffonBBC Two. During the sixth episode of the series Whaite sustained a major injury to his finger and could not complete the last bake. After making it through to the final, he won the show with his Italian sausage and roasted vegetablepithivier, fondant fancies, and heaven and hell chiffon cake. Despite winning the series, he won "Star Baker" only once.
Whaite has appeared as a resident chef on theITVbreakfast programmeLorraine, hosted byLorraine Kelly.He has also appeared onThis Morning,What's Cooking?,The Alan Titchmarsh ShowandSunday Brunchas a guest chef.
In April 2016, Whaite began co-presentingChopping Block, ITV's new daytime cookery competitive show withRosemary Shragerwhere four couples compete in a series of daily challenges to win a prize.A second series began airing in March 2017.
Whaite makes regular appearances, as one of its chefs, with presenterSteph McGovernon herChannel 4daytime showSteph's Packed Lunch.
In August 2021, Whaite was announced as a contestant on thenineteenth seriesofStrictly Come Dancing.He was paired with professionalJohannes Radebe, and they became the first ever male same-sex pairing on the show.They reached the final as one of the last two couples, but were beaten byRose Ayling-Ellisand her partnerGiovanni Pernice.
After appearing onBake Off, Whaite studied for a Diplôme de Pâtisserie atLe Cordon Bleu, London.
In 2015, John Whaite's kitchen cookery school, named John Whaite's Kitchen, opened in a converted 400-year-old cattle shed on his family's farm on Tunley Lane inWrightington, Lancashire.As of December 2021, this project remains closed.
Whaite has released four cookery books. His first,John Whaite Bakes, was released on 25 April 2013,and the second,John Whaite Bakes at Home, was released on 27 March 2014.The third book,Perfect Plates in 5 Ingredients, was published in April 2016.The fourth book,Comfort: Food to soothe the soul, was published in October 2017.In 2019, he wroteA Flash in the Pan, which contains recipes for cooking using only a stovetop pan.
Whaite wrote a column on food forThe Daily Telegraph.He briefly wrote the column "Hot John" forHeatmagazine in 2013.
Whaite performed inStrictly Come Dancing – the Live Tour 2022.In May 2022 it was revealed Whaite was due to join the cast of theAndrew Lloyd-Webber musicalCinderellaas Prince Charming; however, the production posted a closing notice before he could make his debut.Whaite expressed that joining the cast ofCinderellawould have been a "dream come true".
In February 2025, Whaite announced that he had created an account onOnlyFans.
Whaite lives in Leeds with his partner Paul Atkins, a graphic designer.He announced their engagement on 21 July 2017. In 2014, John and Paul were featured in a special Love & Marriage edition ofAttitudemagazine. At the time, the couple had been together for nearly six years.
Whaite said he has suffered from depression.He also said he has experiencedbulimiain the past.
In 2019, Whaite worked on a 100-acre (40 ha) farm in the mountains ofBritish Columbia, Canada, which he found via the World-wide Opportunities on Organic Farms website.