Edinburgh baker Jasmine Mitchell on Scotland, surviving Great British Bake Off 2025 and her plans after win

Despite being named as one of the show’s best winners in “quite a while” by judge Paul Hollywood, the Edinburgh-born baker “never thought anything would come from” her application.

But while on Bake Off, Ms Mitchell quickly impressed the judges with her skill and sheer consistency - all achieved while studying medicine full time.

Jasmine believes her medical studies helped in the Bake Off tent

Juggling university and Bake Off at the same time was undoubtedly challenging, but Ms Mitchell tells The Scotsman her medical experience "definitely” helped in the tent.

Describing a situation she witnessed while on placement, she says: “That week I was feeling really stressed about everything I had to do for Bake Off and then I was just with this patient … basically, the patient was really, really ill and wasn't going to get better and the family were kind of arguing over what they should do. It was just so sad and just not a situation anyone would ever want to be in.

“I remember going to the tent the next day and it honestly was one of the weeks I just felt most relaxed in the tent. I was like it's such a privilege to be able to be here, in the tent, baking.

“This is in many ways just a bit of fun and it just took that stress side out of things, which was such a blessing because it just meant I could enjoy baking and this awesome thing that I got to do and I'm healthy enough to do it and not everyone is.

“For a lot of people, a baking competition is so low on the priority list, you know what I mean? So I think, one reason, it gave me so much perspective and made that Bake Off experience easier.”

However, Ms Mitchell says her experience of working in high-pressure environments also played a key role in her success.

She explains: “That meant that when I was in the tent and there was time pressure or problem solving. I think I was really helped by just studying medicine and that being a day-to-day experience.”

Filming Bake Off could be ‘intense’

Across the weeks of filming, the 23-year-old student was practicing her baking and teaching herself new skills needed for the competition, as well as preparing for her medical exams. She sat these exams during filming and continued her hospital placements in London.

Ms Mitchell describes the period as “intense, mentally and emotionally”.

“I had no social life and I've never had to be so efficient with studying,” she says. “I'd literally get up and be like 'OK, I've got an hour or I've got two hours and that's all I can do'. And then I just have to bake, basically.”

Sharing how grateful she was for the support given to her by friends and family, the Bake Off winner also credits her Christian faith for giving her a sense of “peace and steadiness”.

Surviving throughout Bake Off came down to staying in the moment

While in the Bake Off tent, Ms Mitchell says she did best by not thinking about what potentially lay ahead.

“I really, really avoided thinking any steps further ahead than what I was doing in that moment,” she says.

“The whole way through, whenever I zoomed out and saw the whole picture, I'd just kind of freak out and think 'oh my gosh, there's so much to do, I can't do this, I don't have time, I don't have the capacity’. And it always felt so big and scary until I was doing that task itself and I was like ‘I can do this’.”

It was a strategy that clearly worked for Ms Mitchell, who not only went on to win the show, but also became the first contestant to be named ‘Star Baker’ five times as well as claim victory overall.

However, Ms Mitchell does admit that as the final showstopper challenge approached, her discipline did waver slightly, as she realised she could possibly win.

“Normally before filming days I'd actually sleep fine, I kind of was OK,” she says. “But actually the night before that final I just could not sleep because I was just in my head going through everything I had to do.

“But also I knew they hadn't been that good – like my first day, the signature and technical challenges – hadn't been that good. So I was like ‘I really need to pull myself together for tomorrow’.

“But that was probably the only moment where I thought 'oh my gosh, there is a chance I could win this’. And that was the first time I think I let myself go there.”

Despite her sleepless night, Ms Mitchell was able to impress the judges one final time to be named the 2025 Great British Bake Off champion.

READ MORE: Who is Jasmine Mitchell? Everything you need to know about the Edinburgh-born Bake Off 2025 winner

Technical issues interrupted Alison Hammond announcing the 2025 winner

However, it wasn’t the smoothest process to get to that point, she recalls.

“I barely remember the moment, but I do just remember there was the biggest pause between host Alison [Hammond] announcing [the winner],” Ms Mitchell says.

“She was like 'the winner of the Bake Off 2025 is' and then one of the camera crew were like 'hold', because one of the cameras was on the wrong shot or something. So we were stood there, because she was literally about to say it, and then it was just silence.”

As for what happened after the prolonged pause, Ms Mitchell says her “mind was just kind of blank”.

She adds: “But then I just remember that she finally, eventually, said my name and [fellow contestant] Aaron [Mountford-Myles] picked me up. Then within ten seconds, all my family and friends who were there came and literally surrounded me to the point where Alison couldn't get to me with the trophy, with the cake stand.”

It was a victory made even sweeter for Ms Mitchell, who had finished her final medical exam earlier that week and was looking forward to a summer of doing nothing.

“I finished my exams and then filmed Saturday, Sunday and it was just the best feeling, because it was complete closure of everything,” she says.

READ MORE: Here is every Scottish baker who has appeared on the Great British Bake Off

Her baking has cooled down since being on the show

Ms Mitchell does admit that now Bake Off is over, she is “barely baking” due to how busy she has been.

Life hasn’t changed too much for the student, who is now back to her studies and hospital placements following her win, though there are some notable differences.

She says: “I've had a lot more attention than I had before, just like in the street and getting stopped and people recognising me, which is definitely taking a little bit of time to adjust to. But everyone's been so lovely, so I can't complain at all.”

Her post-Bake Off life has also led to some high-profile event invitations, such as the Nuremberg film premiere in London where she made a “bizarre, but awesome” red carpet appearance.

“I was on the photo wall on the red carpet, and [actor] Leo Woodall was in front of me and [his co-star] Rami Malek was behind me - I was like 'what is going on?',” she says.

“Then [the photographers] were like 'OK, Jasmine, can you just come to stand here?' And there was like eight cameras facing me. I was just like 'what is life?' How have I ended up on a red carpet? I'm 23 years old. If I told myself this was happening a year ago, I'd be like ‘never’.”

READ MORE: Recipe - Cranachan Soufflé with Raspberry Sorbet

Jasmine is missing Scotland ‘a lot’

For those who may not have realised Ms Mitchell was Scottish during her time on Bake Off, she admits to being somewhat of a “chameleon”.

She says: “Wherever I am, I just end up sounding like the people I'm around. So now I'm down in London I don't sound Scottish at all, which is so sad.”

She was born and raised in Edinburgh, before heading to St Andrews for university. After graduating, the baker then moved to London to continue her studies. However, her Scottish connections also stretch to the Highlands where she has family.

“I just love Scotland and the Highlands so much and I miss it a lot,” she says. “I've noticed myself missing it more and more being in London.

“I think London's awesome and it's fun and it's busy, but it's the pace of life. It's just so intense the whole time and it's so nice to get away to Edinburgh or up to the Highlands.”

Having taken inspiration from the region during her time on Bake Off, Ms Mitchell misses being able to easily access nature. She says the Highlands are just as much home as Edinburgh is.

“We'd always go on holiday there, half term and stuff at school,” she explains. “That feels almost as much like home as Edinburgh, I'm literally going up in a couple of weeks.

“It's where I can stop and relax and just be in the hills and go swimming in the lochs ... it gives me so much joy.”

Outside of Scotland’s nature and scenery, Ms Mitchell also admits to missing the people. “Scots are just the best,” she adds.

When asked about her favourite food from home, she replies: “Well, I love Cranachan. I think it's probably just because it's got whisky and raspberries in it. I mean literally, what's not to love?”

What comes next for Jasmine after Bake Off?

With around a year of medical studies remaining, Ms Mitchell is “still definitely going to be a doctor”. But working towards this goal does not mean giving up on baking entirely.

“[I’m] definitely going to write at least one, and hopefully more, cookbooks,” she says. “I'm excited for that and I think the focus of that will be bringing people together around the table.

“I think people are so isolated and lonely and we just spend so much time on our phones instead of deeply, actually, connecting with people around us. I think food can be such an amazing tool to bring people together and build community, and build relationships with other humans instead of just with our phones and social media, for example.

“I think that's something I'm really passionate about and want to kind of share that.”

As well as showing the best way to set a table and getting the overall ambience right, Ms Mitchell is also planning a YouTube and social media miniseries, as well as some possible TV appearances. “Basically, watch this space,” she says.