John Whaite said 'Great British Bake Off' 'derailed' him from steady life path

John Whaite has said that appearing on The Great British Bake Off "derailed" him from his "steady life path".

The baker, 33, was a contestant on the much-loved show in 2012 and went on to win the competition.

But he has now admitted that he sometimes regrets ever signing up for a stint in the famous white tent.

Read more: Strictly partners John Whaite and Johannes Radebe go on Celebrity Gogglebox

Whaite wrote in The Telegraph that when he won the competition his life was a flurry of offers and opportunities but that his appeal "shrank" as the new crop of Bake Off stars came through, and that he became "lonely and sad".

"I drank more than I should have and posted unwisely on Instagram and Twitter," he said. "Some days I’d wish I had never been on the show, because in reality, it totally derailed me from a steady life path."

The star said he doubted that being given advice on fame and the nature of the industry would have helped him back then, as "addiction to the razzle dazzle came naturally to the youthful me".

He later refocused and went on to open his cookery school, and turned his attention to his work as a chef and food writer.

And in 2021 he made a big splash - and made history - when he competed on Strictly Come Dancing in part of its first ever all-male partnership with pro Johannes Radebe.

A new series of Bake Off has just got under way, with a new crop of bakers trying to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with their culinary creations.

Read more: John Whaite will live life by 'Johannes-isms' after Strictly

Dishing out some advice to this year's hopefuls, Whaite said they should take the opportunities that come their way but not take it too seriously or allow themselves to be "diluted" by it all.

Watch: Strictly's John and Johannes reveal training fall out