Quotes from John Whaite

I'm very, very loyal to Steph and the gang at 'Packed Lunch.'

I don't question the importance of learning how to cook at school. It's vital that children know how to create a few dishes to sustain themselves in later life, but that's different from the emotional, nurturing environment of the home kitchen with Mum.

I've been very vocal in the past about my mental health issues.

To be classed as Britain's best amateur baker was something I never envisaged; but to be able to have such an accolade in my one true passion is absolutely incredible.

My parents divorced when I was seven and baking was something that helped me to take my mind off things.

During 'Bake Off' people said, 'You're going to become a celebrity and leave your boyfriend,' but I knew it would never happen.

For me, as many dark days as I have, I have bright days where I can achieve so much.

I'm all for a healthy diet. I don't eat junk very often, and I try not to have too much sugar or refined carbohydrate. But I don't mince my words or try to elevate people's perceptions of my diet into something snobbish and superior-sounding.

When I'm in the kitchen, measuring the amount of sugar, flour or butter I need for a recipe or cracking the exact number of eggs - I am in control.

I chose to work with Stork's Sunday Bake Service as it's a great way to help people out - whether they're baking experts or baking novices, the service assists people with the same passion as me, so I couldn't refuse!

Wigan is the town I come from. We're all known as pie eaters in Wigan.

I like pie! Pie with proper pastry and a meaty filling always works. It just makes you feel good.

I'm not a fan of plain white walls and pristine ornaments dotted around; my house needs to feel lived in and protective.

The key emotion, when you grow up gay, lesbian, bi, trans, is shame. We chose what places we went to, chose the people we talked to, based on the idea of keeping ourselves safe.

I can vividly remember the first time I ate a pasty. After a busy day shopping with my gran, she treated me to one. Wide-eyed and with a watering mouth, I chomped down into the crisp, buttery casing. It yielded to my eager bite; the pastry flaked and fluttered down my front.

Baking as a career is very different to baking as a hobby. Business plans are needed and it's not all plain sailing.

When you are concentrating on baking 24/7, it is incredible how much you learn.

At school I used to hang out with the girls - they looked after me but the boys would call me gay and I'd get into fights. They'd push me and I'd push them back. I don't condone violence, but you have to stick up for yourself because no one else will.

The refreshing tang of lemon cake makes such a change to the deep sweetness of many bakes.

I've grown to love veg - I didn't have a choice - and I've always been mad on cauliflower. It has a gentle nutty sweetness that intensifies when cooked; and you can't deny that a bowlful of cauliflower cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods.

When we revel in hindsight, we have a tendency to embellish. We weave romantic and poetic fibres into the gaps in our memory.

Ever since I was a little lad, the sun has seemed to shine during my birthday weekend.

I started baking with my family and friends. We would make easy and competent dishes and spend our evenings and weekends together in the kitchen. It was quite argumentative and ferocious - it was family life. That instilled the love and comfort of food for me.

Baking is very meditative. It's precise - you have to weigh out the ingredients, follow it step by step and focus on everything, so it's just right. It also brings you out of your shell, because if you've made a batch of brownies, you share them and its really sociable like that.