Who exactly is Candice Brown?

One of Candice's most impressive bakes was her showstopper during biscuit week: a 3D gingerbread pub! When tasked with the behemoth challenge of telling the story of her life through the medium of the humble biscuit, Candice recreated the pub that her parents managed and lived in during her childhood. She included everything she could remember of The King William IV, from the pool table to the regulars to the sticky carpet - and duly won Star Baker.

It wasn't just the pub that was her only unbelievable showstopper. Candice's marzipan peacock also helped her to win Star Baker - but she came under fire for its resemblance to Nadiya's chocolate peacock of the year before. If you ask us, that's clutching at straws. Both peacocks are very nice. There is enough room in this world for plenty of delicious peacocks.

In October 2017 Candice announced her engagement to tree surgeon Liam Macaulay. Speaking about the engagement, Candice said: "It's been such an amazing year. I feel very lucky. I've had such incredible opportunities – Bake Off opened so many doors – and to top it off he puts a ring on it."Liam and Candice went back to the Black Horse restaurant in Bedfordshire, where they had their first date, and parked in the same parking spot as that day before proposing. Candice cried for five minutes before finally being composed enough to say yes. So she's not always as calm and collected as she seemed in the Bake Off tent.

It's full of family recipes that Candice grew up first watching her mum and nan bake and then adopted herself. She says the recipes haven't changed because they're so good they don't need to. Full of home favourites and delicious treats, her book, Comfort, is for anyone wanting to step up their baking game.

Before Bake Off she was a PE teacher. After graduating with a degree in Sport, PE and Community Studies at the University of Birmingham, Candice taught at Ashlyns School in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. She managed to juggle being in the Bake Off tent and the sports hall, and stayed at the school for a while after winning before finally being told to take the opportunities she was being presented with. Candice said that the headteacher at Ashlyns encouraged her to follow her dreams as it would inspire the children she taught to do the same.

What else would you expect from a Bake Off winner's Instagram than pastries to die for? Cakes worth cutting off family members. A tart so delicious you had to take a sit down. Good for inspiration if you're feeling like dusting off your apron and making that famous cheesecake of yours. Bad for maintaining strong will during a diet. Follow at your own peril.

Candice's dogs. What lovely dogs. Dennis is her pug. Harry, the bulldog. And Sybil, the newest addition to her family, the Pomeranian. Poor old Sybil is blind in one eye but he still gets lots of love and attention.

We would be stupid, heartless, and cold to not use this opportunity to send our best wishes to Candice's Bake Off opponents (and friends), especially Val. In fact, they all got together to watch last year's final and are invited to Candice's wedding. How adorable.