Suchismita Ghosh
The unique competition-style bake-off television reality series on Netflix titled ‘Nailed It!’ premiered in 2018. Each episode follows three amateur bakers as they try to reproduce intricately designed cakes to the best of their abilities. The metaphorical icing on the cake is a cash prize worth $10,000 and the coveted ‘Nailed It!’ trophy. As considerable time has elapsed since the show’s inaugural season wrapped up, fans have been wondering about the present whereabouts of the promising bake-off winners.
Elena Timman Took Some Time Off to Pursue Her Dreams of Carpentry
Elena Mazzucchelli Timman was the first winner of the season’s first episode, titled ‘First Date to Life Mate.’ While she was working with Tinder, Inc. as their Product Coordinator & EA to CSO, CPO, and VP of Product Design at the time of the show, Elena has since then made quite a bit of progress in life. She took a ten-month career break in November 2022 and focussed on her dreams of carpentry by starting Skapa, a hand-crafted wooden items business.
In August 2023, Elena decided to take up a full-time role with a team she believed would be the perfect fit for her at Swimply as their People and Culture Manager. In her personal life, Elena currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Over the last couple of years, she has been fighting tooth and nail to help her best friend and soul sister, Julie Alexandria Miller, who has Polycystic Kidney Disease, get a kidney for herself.
Toni Bryant-Chance is Now a Candy Store Owner
The winner of the second episode, titled ‘Fantasyland,’ was Toni Bryant-Chance. The Queens, New York native was steadfast and confident in her doughnut masterpiece creation and was the undisputed winner to take home the prize. Known as the ‘neighborhood candy lady,’ she intended to utilize the money to further her childhood dream of owning a confectionery business. Having sold candies to neighborhood kids since 2015, Toni wanted to set up something permanent. And so, with the help of her youngest daughter, Tamiko Dixon, she purchased a concession trailer and thus started the candy store Suga Mama’s Confections in 2021. Toni calls herself a “connoisseur of candy,” even though her store sells all sorts of old and new candy variants, drinks, shakes, and ice cream, all of which are a massive hit with her buyers. Her ultimate dream, however, is to open a restaurant, like some of the biggest candy chains in the country. Toni has also started selling merchandise and supplies on her business’s exclusive website.
Danielle Ariola is Focused on Her Career as a Realtor and Broker Associate
Episode 3 winner Danielle Ariola and her contemporaries were tasked with making the best animal hot-tub cakes, followed by a shark attack cake, and she managed to impress the most with her creation. The funloving baker has since been focusing on her booming career as a realtor and broker associate. She works as a part of her family business, The Ariola Group, with her brother, Chris Ariola, and functions in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. The mother of one, Rory, Danielle has been an inspirational force ever since the untimely passing of her husband, Chris, in 2016. Her social media profile shows a mix of her ever-growing professional career and her lighthearted yet adorable personal life.
Michael Lake Has Been Maintaining a Low Profile
Michael Lake was tasked with creating a volcano cake in the final ‘Nail It or Fail It’ challenge, and ‘Good Time Mike’ ensured that he pulled it off well enough to take the coveted trophy home. The York, Pennsylvania, resident now maintains a low profile. He has left his previous job at Patterson Dental Philadelphia Branch as a CAD/CAM specialist and has been working with SprintRay since February 2021 as an International Account Manager. He isn’t very active on his social media profile and seems to be enjoying his time away from the spotlight.
Rachel Williamson Has Preferred to Keep Her Life Private
Fort Collins’ Rachel Williamson was the winner of episode 5. She was tasked with creating an impeccable fondant-draped emoji cake along with sushi-shaped cakes. After the season ended, Rachel and her family, consisting of her husband and three children, relocated to Southern Missouri. Since then, she’s been off the grid a little. Even though she does have a social media profile, she’s chosen to keep things private, thus indicating a desire to stir clear of any unwarranted attention and limelight.
Anabell Picca Has Been Enjoying a Bit of Traveling
Season one’s episode 6 winner was Anabell Picca, an amateur pastry chef, actress, and fashion designer. The mother of one now spends most of her time traveling the world and has also been working on learning yoga and perfecting workout challenges. She’s the proud owner of a business, YAM Swimwear. It caters to amazing-looking bikinis and swimsuits. Anabell has also held onto her love for baking and has tiptoed into the food industry while preparing all sorts of sweet and savory goodness. Glimpses of the same can be seen on the social media page Healthy Sweets.
Read More: Is Nailed It! Real or Scripted?
