Sophie Faldo was crowned the winner of UK baking TV competition “The Great British Bake Off” on Tuesday evening – but there’s much more to her than baking.
The 33-year-old wowed the judges with her final bake, a showstopper named “Ode to the honey bee,” which was a multi-layered Entremet containing blackberry jelly, honey, lemon curd, and lavender mousse.
When the result was announced, she said: “I just disbelieve it. The idea of winning was such a minute possibility. I don’t think I’ll forget this for as long as I live.”
You might assume that Faldo dedicates her life to baking – but she happens to also be a competitive track cyclist and a former army officer training to be a stuntwoman.
Scroll down to meet Sophie Faldo, the impressive winner of "Bake Off."
This is 33-year-old Surrey-born Sophie Faldo, who just won this year's "Great British Bake Off."
http://instagr.am/p/BalliOmH6v-
She lives in Surrey with her boyfriend David, who is rumoured to have entered her into the competition.
http://instagr.am/p/Ba7c3Ezl5yH
Controversy has surrounded her living situation, however. On her application, she claimed to be living with David, but reports revealed that she is claiming a single person's benefit allowance, allowing her more than if she was living as a couple.
According to The Sun, a "Bake Off" spokesman said: "Sophie has recently declared a change in her circumstances to the DWP. A meeting to reassess her situation was postponed by her local job centre until next week. Any suggestion of benefit fraud relating to Sophie is categorically untrue."
Her bakes are pretty incredible — and have caught the attention of the British press.
http://instagr.am/p/BaoVgA6nZhH
She shares some of her bakes on Instagram. Here's a stunning cake she made for her friend's wedding...
http://instagr.am/p/BZrMYeilOBS
...a pink ombré buttercream cake finished with chocolate drips and chocolate covered strawberries...
http://instagr.am/p/BYeF1weH7NH
...an "illusion cake" she made for an old housemate...
http://instagr.am/p/BYtlFwLlvo7
...a salted caramel and chocolate tart for a Sunday lunch...
http://instagr.am/p/BajqTzvFIIU
...some delicious-looking sourdough rye...
http://instagr.am/p/BajHDUmFPcf
...and her ultimate favourite: a three-layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
http://instagr.am/p/BZYTKyPHCTf
She apparently didn't discover her love for baking until she offered to make a cake for a friend. Here's a birthday cake she made for a little girl who loves ballet.
http://instagr.am/p/BX50mO0lPF9
Source: The Sun.
However, Faldo does much more than bake. This psychology graduate is also a former army officer who's training to be a stuntwoman.
http://instagr.am/p/BCGgn8qyq34
Source: The Sun.
She's also a competitive track cyclist.
http://instagr.am/p/BGfVVIbSq_Z
According to The Sun, she started cycling to "rehabilitate myself from a back injury when I was a full time rower."
http://instagr.am/p/BGpPkg6Sqzp
She added: "My back took longer to heal than I thought and it turned out that I preferred cycling anyway!"
http://instagr.am/p/BHiIUEdhBmP
Just as well, as she's won a lot of medals.
http://instagr.am/p/BCF_P7hSq1I
If that's not enough, she also runs some military boot camps — and she lifts some pretty heavy weights.
http://instagr.am/p/BAVVexiSq60
She's pretty into Crossfit — and even made a cake for the Crossfit Games.
http://instagr.am/p/BZ_HE9xlI2_
Oh — and she also loves to ski.
http://instagr.am/p/BQiryN1Blag
To fuel all this sport, she doesn't live on baked goods, and even tries to have some vegetarian days.
http://instagr.am/p/BafBYhaH-r7
Her motto is reportedly: "Train hard, fight easy… one I stole from my Army days."
http://instagr.am/p/BFTY2mByq7E
Source: The Sun.
It served her well in the "Bake Off" tent.
