Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown told to quit teaching by her school’s head teacher to pursue her baking career
The PE teacher has hung up her whistle to pick up her apron full time
GREAT British Bake Off winner Candice Brown has quit teaching after her school's head teacher encouraged her to pursue a baking career.
After beating Jane Beedle and Andrew Smyth in the final of the cooking show back in October, the 31-year-old pouty patisserie master returned to her humble roots of teaching PE at Ashlyns School in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.
However, the head advised her to pursue her dream and "give 100%" to the career she has in front of her.
She told : "My headteacher told me: 'You've got to do this, you can't do it half-heartedly. I wouldn't forgive myself if you missed out. It's not that we don't want you here but you have to give it 100 per cent.
"If we can't encourage our staff to follow their dreams and inspire, then we are not doing our job properly. You are showing the kids that anything is possible.' It was so incredibly lovely of him to say this."
So after gentle nudging from her colleagues, Candice handed in her notice at school and quit teaching after eight years to pursue the opportunities that have been afforded to her thanks to the BBC cooking show.
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This includes a cooking show with her fellow finalist Jane Beedle after an insider told the "Their friendship was the highlight of the show.
“Producers can’t wait to sign them up for their own programme, which would be a lovely mixture of age and experience.”
Candice officially left her teaching role for good last Friday - a decision she admitted was "agonising".
She revealed: "I work in special needs and you are fighting the children's corner so much. But I have had long conversations with my parents and my boyfriend, Liam, and I know it is the right decision.
"Leaving on Friday was emotional but I am excited about the future now, scared, too, and I am a bit of a worrier... but I cannot thank everybody enough for giving me this amazing opportunity and for my school letting me grab it with both hands and running with it."
A whopping 14.8 million people tuned in to watch Candice take the trophy in what turned out to be the last episode of the gentle baking competition on the BBC after Channel 4 poached it.
As a result, Wednesday night's finale became an unintentional swansong for Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins and Mary Berry - who all decided to leave the show as a result of the move.
The teacher, who experts predict will make £1million in endorsements in the next year, now wants to use her newfound fame to open a tea shop.
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