After ten weeks of intense competition in the iconic baking tent, Jasmine Mitchell, a 23-year-old medical student from London, has been named the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2025. The final episode, which aired on November 4, 2025, saw Mitchell triumph over fellow finalists Tom Arden and Aaron Mountford-Myles after a series of breathtaking challenges.
Mitchell’s victory caps off a dominant performance throughout the sixteenth series, during which she became only the second contestant in the show’s history to win an impressive five Star Baker titles and received two coveted Hollywood handshakes from judge Paul Hollywood.
The Decisive Final Showdown
The three finalists faced their biggest challenges yet in the season finale, with the pressure at an all-time high. The competition began with the signature challenge, where the bakers were tasked with putting their own spin on the classic British iced finger bun. Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith were looking for perfect texture and bold flavours.
For the technical challenge, set by Prue Leith, the bakers had to create a jaw-dropping tower of exquisitely decorated white chocolate and lemon madeleines. This complex task involved producing 31 individual madeleines with a perfect ombre colour effect, transitioning from dark pink to pale pink.
The final showstopper challenge required the bakers to make the largest cake in Bake Off history—an elegant and sophisticated table-top centrepiece measuring 1.2 metres long, all to be completed in just four and a half hours. Mitchell created what she described as “one ridiculously long cake,” which featured hand-painted panels and delicate sugar work.
A Journey of Remarkable Consistency
Jasmine Mitchell’s path to victory was marked by extraordinary consistency from the very first week. Judge Paul Hollywood noted that not once during the competition did the judges think she might be eliminated. Her command of classic flavours and flawless execution saw her excel across diverse themes including Bread Week, Patisserie Week, and Dessert Week.
Mitchell’s achievement of five Star Baker wins ties a Bake Off record, placing her in an elite category of the show’s most accomplished contestants. Throughout the series, she impressed the judges with her steady approach and refusal to overcomplicate her bakes, allowing her to execute them with precision while others struggled.
Judge Prue Leith commented on Mitchell’s extraordinary run, stating, “The thing about Jasmine is that she has been steady all the way through, almost unheard of to be so consistent and so good. She is an extraordinary girl.”
Paul Hollywood added, “There was not one week we thought she could go this week… not once. And that’s unusual, and to win 5 Star Bakers and then win overall that’s never happened before. She has done an incredible job all the way through the Bake Off this year. She is a worthy winner and she is the best one we have seen for quite a while actually.”
Balancing Baking and Medical Studies
What makes Mitchell’s victory particularly remarkable is that she managed her Bake Off journey while simultaneously studying for medical exams. She revealed that dancing with co-host Alison Hammond in the rain, crying with relief after finishing one of the most intense weeks of her life—which included two massive medicine exams and week eight of Bake Off—remained her favourite moment in the tent.
Mitchell, who was born in Edinburgh and now lives with her cousins in London while completing her medical degree, learned the basics of baking from her mother and aunts. She has fond memories of batch baking for big family get-togethers during holidays in the Scottish Highlands. Baking became her creative outlet, and she prefers using fresh, seasonal ingredients to create classic flavour combinations.
An Inspirational Winner
During her time on the show, Mitchell openly shared her journey of living with alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss. She decided not to wear a wig during filming, explaining that the experience has changed her perception of beauty.
She said, “If I had told myself three years ago that I would be going about my life without wearing a wig, with no hair, I would have laughed and said, ‘don’t be ridiculous.’ I could never have imagined being on the Bake Off, let alone doing it with no hair. Life with alopecia has definitely been challenging at times. I am still very much in the process of learning to love it. But I am getting to the point where more days than not I am actually really enjoying looking a bit different. Having alopecia has (and is) changing my perception of what beauty is. Being authentically yourself, the way you were made to be, is so much more beautiful than trying to look like everyone else around you.”
Following her win, Mitchell expressed her joy and gratitude: “Oh my goodness I am just so overjoyed! When I was in the middle of exams and trying to bake while I was trying to learn, it’s been so much. But I have done it and I am just so unbelievably happy and to have done it with such an awesome group of people.”
She described the moment of her victory, saying, “When it was announced that I won, Aaron instantly picked me up and spun me around. My friends and family then ran over and completely surrounded me. This felt like such a testament to my whole Bake Off journey.”
Mitchell also shared words of inspiration for others, stating, “I want to say to myself that when I don’t think I am going to be able to do something, when I don’t have faith in myself that I should just give it a try. And try and try again. And something great might happen, you never know!”
The Runners-Up
Tom Arden, a 31-year-old creative entrepreneur from London, and Aaron Mountford-Myles, a 38-year-old senior systems architect from Stoke-on-Trent, were named runners-up in the competition. Both contestants had strong performances throughout the series, with Tom earning two Hollywood handshakes and two Star Baker wins, while Aaron won Star Baker once and was consistently praised for his flavour combinations.
Mitchell expressed admiration for her fellow finalists, saying, “I have a lot of love and admiration for my fellow finalists, Tom and Aaron. I don’t think I would have been able to do it without them being alongside me in the tent. They made the final almost manageable. I am still in awe of their knowledge and skill. They inspired me the whole way through and they definitely brought out the best in me.”
The winner’s trophy, which Mitchell revealed had been “in the bottom of my pyjama drawer hidden at the back amongst the sports clothes,” will finally see use. She plans to “christen it by making a cake,” though she jokes it “might not be as big as my final Showstopper!”
Also Read: The Great British Bake Off Season 16 Episode 9: A Cream Horn Challenge in the Sweltering Heat
