Bake Off winner Matty Edgell’s rise to the top: how ‘underdog’ gym teacher went on to steal the show and win himself a legion of female fans (including Alison Hammond) – but sorry ladies, he’s taken!

Matty Edgell was crowned the winner of the Great British bake-off in Tuesday night’s final episode after beating fellow finalists Dan and Josh for the award.

The handsome gym teacher, 28, from Cambridgeshire, impressed the judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith to take away the crown.

Matty had an incredible rise in the series after calling himself the ‘official underdog’ of the contestants in the tent until the end.

He won a legion of female fans as the weeks went by and presenter Alison Hammond couldn’t resist a cheeky flirt with him as he checked in on his bakes.

During his time on the show he was supported by his fiancée Lara, who he confirmed his engagement to after the win.

Matty revealed he proposed during a trip to Sorrento in Italy and said it was one of the “happiest moments of his life.”

So here’s MailOnline looking at who Matty is and his rise to fame on the show:

Who is Matty Edgell?

Matty is a 28-year-old PE and science teacher at Hampton College from Cambridgeshire, who starred in the 2023 series Bake Off.

The star first started baking as a child after being impressed by a teddy bear cake his grandmother made for him for his fourth birthday.

He has previously said he aims to be on par with his grandmother’s legendary bakes, including the South Pole-inspired cake she made for him at Christmas.

He describes his baking style as rustic but clean, and his taste preferences as quite traditional, particularly liking chocolate, citrus and nuts.

Matty said his students were ‘impressed’ by his baking skills when the competition was broadcast on Channel 4.

“The students at school were a bit impressed that I was in the series and I got really nice reactions at school,” he told Channel 4.

“I know they’ll think it’s cool that I won, but at the same time they’ll be really surprised.

“They have invested in me throughout the series, so there will be a sense of pride when they all share the victory with me.”

Underdog at the start

During the series, Matty referred to himself as ‘the official underdog’ as many of his fellow contestants had comparatively more baking experience.

Matty said he didn’t think he was ‘good enough’ to take part in the series so he postponed his application.

But eventually, after some encouragement from his fiancée, he gained confidence in his own baking talents after first learning from his grandmother during his childhood.

He repeated the “underdog” rhetoric in his exit interview.

He said: ‘Without a doubt I was the official underdog throughout the series.

‘So I think everyone was surprised when I made it to the final and won, including me!’

He watched the final at home with Lara and his friends and family while tucking into cake.

Popular with the ladies (including Alison Hammond)

During the series, many fans hinted that Alison Hammond may have had a crush on Matty.

The presenter enjoyed weeks of flirting on the Channel 4 cooking show, with some onlookers speculating she was ‘in love’ with the teacher.

Alison, who has been single since splitting from landscaper Ben Hawkins earlier this year, said those watching at home were so impressed with him that they compared Bake Off to a dating show.

“Alison and Matty are in love and I can’t blame them,” said one viewer, while another wrote: “Alison coming to see Matty is better than any dating show we’ve ever seen.”

Meanwhile, a fan joked that the This Morning host, 48, and Matty had a future together, saying: “If they do the ‘What the contestants have been up to’ segment I hope Matty and Alison have run away and opened a patisserie in the south of France.’

Alison’s flirtation with Matty had become a talking point not only for the viewers, but also for those who worked on the show.

An insider said: ‘When it was recorded earlier this year we all knew the chemistry was going to be something.’

Alison wasn’t the only one who admired Matty; the show’s fans were also in love.

One wrote: ‘Sexy Matty has the best sausage rolls… Matty’s sausage wins.’

Engaged to blonde beauty

Matty revealed he is engaged to his girlfriend Lara after being crowned champion in the final.

The news was shared just after the teacher overcame competition from Josh and Dan to win Tuesday night’s Channel 4 series.

Following the announcement that Matty had won, The Great British Bake Off’s X account (formerly Twitter) shared a message congratulating Matty and Lara on their engagement.

The message read: ‘A big congratulations from all of us at Bake Off to Matty and Lara on their engagement!’

Matty revealed in his exit interview that he proposed during a trip to Sorrento, Italy, saying it was one of the “happiest moments of his life.”

In the photo, Lara showed off her stunning dazzling ring as he hugged her and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek.

The star has yet to share the announcement on his own Instagram.

Matty previously shared that Lara was the one who signed him up for the competition.

After Matty was declared the winner, he said: ‘I don’t know what to say… everyone said you should go to Bake Off and I thought it was a throwaway comment and never really listened to it. I never thought I’d be on the show, let alone win it!’

He added kindly, quoting Lara: ‘I hope GBBO will maybe change my life just a little bit, but being a PE teacher is something I’m really enjoying at the moment.

‘I loved being in the tent and another of my happiest life moments was when I got engaged to my fiancée Lara in Sorrento.

‘I’m not sure what’s next for me, but my next big baking project is making our wedding cake. I just keep enjoying it.’

He told Channel 4 that his next big bake will be the mammoth task of making his own wedding cake for when he marries his fiancée Lara.

In his Instagram post after the finale aired, he said of Lara, “I can’t imagine how fun I was to live with at times and I’m so grateful for the sacrifices you made for me during this time! I don’t think I’ve gone ten weeks without making food.

‘You got to experience the Bake Off journey with me, but you never got to do the fun part. Throughout the highs and lows of my journey, you have picked me up countless times, supported me and given me the confidence I needed every week.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without you (literally, Lara, thank you now for applying for me.”