Who won Bake Off 2023? Final results and GBBO champion

The Great British Bake Off has crowned Matty Edgell as the 2023 champion of the beloved baking show.

A tense final saw the three remaining finalists, Matt, Josh and Dan, battle it out in a bid to be the season’s best baker.

Judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood deliberated over a jaw-dropping choux pastry signature, a blast from the past with a sticky technical, and the ultimate showstopper celebration cake.

But it was the 28-year-old PE and science teacher who came up trumps.

What happened in the final episode of Bake Off?The Great British Bake Off 2023 finalists (Photo: Mark Bourdillon/Channel 4)

“I would say I’m the underdog,” said Matty at the start of the final.

“But everyone likes the underdog, right? Please?!” he laughed.

For the first challenge, the finalists were required to make eight, exquisite, highly-decorative eclairs.

Matty made Black Forest and banoffee eclairs which Prue said were “crisp and firm”.

Despite winning the most technical challenges throughout the series, Dan wasn’t able to continue that momentum into the final, however, with Paul describing his eclairs as “too soggy”.

The technical challenge set by Paul required the bakers to make nine lardy cake slices – but, like many viewers, Matty didn’t even know what these were.

Poor lamination meant that Matty failed this round but managed to pull it out of the bag with his showstopper and signature challenges.

“The judges liked my chocolate Genoise sponge and the Victoria sponge even though the final decoration was a bit wonky,” he said.

“I don’t know why that was but they liked the flavour and that was the main thing. Paul said it reminded him of cakes he had as a child.”

The three finalists had each been awarded star baker twice throughout the series making it a closely fought final, but Matty insisted there was no toxic rivalry.

“I so admired my fellow finalists Josh and Dan, and I think the three boys at the final were naturally competitive but we were all supportive of each other and I don’t think any one of us would have begrudged the winner, whoever it was,” he said.

“We had all got a Hollywood handshake, had all been star baker twice and all got to the final so I think we all achieved what we wanted.”

He described the final as “quite tough – we were all aware of how close we were in baking skills.”

What did Matty say about his Bake Off win?Matty with his showstopper cake in the Bake Off final (Photo: Mark Bourdillon/Channel 4)

“I don’t know what to say – everyone said you should go on Bake Off and I thought it was a throwaway comment and never really listened to it,” began Matty. “I never thought I would be on the show let alone win it!”

His fellow finalists were quick to congratulate Matty on his win, with Josh saying: “I am so chuffed for Matty. When it always comes to the cake, he has been fantastic. He is such a worthy winner, and a lovely chap as well.”

Dan added: “I had a feeling that Matty was going to win. On the day, it counted and I am honestly so happy for him. What a kid – I absolutely love him.”

What did the judges say about Matty’s win?

“I have never met a more cheerful, smiling, uncomplaining and willing baker,” said Prue.

“He was just having such a good time, learning as much as he could, taking on board everything either of us said.”

Paul added: “He just got better and better and better and if you are going to smash it, you do it in the last challenge, and that is exactly what he did.

“That chocolate cake was one of the best chocolate cakes I have had for a long, long time.”

Matty will join Jo Brand and Tom Allen and all the other bakers, on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice on Thursday 30 November at 8pm on Channel 4.