Naman Shrestha
In the 15th season of ‘The Great British Bake Off,’ we were introduced to a fresh batch of baking talents whose skills were judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. Out of the amateur bakers who competed for the title, Gill Howard was one of the most experienced and talented. As she considers her attention to detail to be both a blessing and a curse, she came up with many unique bakes throughout the several weeks of the competition.
Gill Howard and Baking Go a Long Way Back
Raised in a family that baked together, Gill Howard began baking at a fairly young age. It became a means of escape for her in difficult times, especially after the heartbreaking loss of her father in 2015. Focused on raising money for Alzheimer’s charities in the loving memory of her late father, she did it by making the most of her baking skills. Since baking has been a family activity in her household since childhood, she specializes in traditional dishes, like pies, cakes, and pastries. However, she adds her own modern twist to these dishes to make them unique from the conventional bakes.
For several years now, Gill has been preparing sticky toffee Christmas pudding during family celebrations, making the get-togethers all the more sweet and joyous. Given her baking talents, her sister had been encouraging Gill to put them to good use and apply for the long-running baking competition. After several years of hesitation, when she finally did apply, she had no expectations of making it in the tent. Opening up about the time when she received the call confirming that she was selected for the 15th season, she said, “I heard my phone vibrating in my bag. I couldn’t call back straight away but I ended up pulling over to the side of the road on my drive home as I couldn’t wait any longer.”
She admitted that she thought they just wanted to inform her that she didn’t make it. She said, “It was a huge surprise when I got in.” Before featuring in ‘The Great British Bake Off,’ she had been famous for an entirely unrelated reason. Back in 1993, she made history when she became the youngest-ever driving instructor in the United Kingdom at the age of 21. She prepared her own wedding cake, which consisted of seven cakes with sugar flowers as well as a light. She credits her passion for precision data and inherent creativity for being so successful and talented at baking.
Baking and Her Tight-Knit Family are Gill Howard’s Priorities
Gill Howard resides with her longtime husband, Stevie, in Lancashire, England. Although the couple doesn’t seem to have any kids of their own, they do have a furry little baby named Arthur, who is also featured in ‘The Great British Bake Off.’ Together, the trio never fails to spend quality time with each other, either at home or during their travels. For instance, around early October 2024, Gill, her husband, and their dog went on a relaxing holiday to the southern part of the county of Devon, where they spent some time at The Ship Inn, a beautiful waterside pub situated in the heart of Noss Mayo.
Gill also uses her passion for baking cakes as a superpower as she is one of the many volunteers of an organization called Free Cakes for Kids Bolton. As the name suggests, it consists of volunteer bakers who bake birthday cakes for children for free. In October 2024, she spent a wonderful afternoon with her fellow volunteers from Free Cakes for Kids Bolton, drinking tea and catching up. As she competed in the baking competition, the organization and the volunteers were all rooting for her. Besides baking, Gill reportedly also has a regular job as a Senior Category Manager.
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