Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, Ballroom & the Messy Inbetween

A fascinating memoir from the Bake Off Winner, BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing Runner Up and popular TV Baker

Well-known as the third-series winner of The Great British Bake Off and runner up of Strictly in 2021 with his same-sex dancing partner Johannes Radebe, John Whaite’s personal story is a complicated narrative that embraces coming out on Bake Off, his ongoing body dysmorphia and bulimia as well as mental health challenges and a changing relationship with his mother, particularly after the break-up of his parents marriage.

Each chapter takes an element of food or culture and loops it back to John’s northern upbringing above a fish and chip shop which instilled a strong a work ethic, as well as using baking as a form of meditation. He also talks about how gay people in the 1990s had to choreograph their every move depending on the people they were surrounded by to ensure they were protected - the dance on eggshells - and how Strictly changed his life and relationship with his long-term partner, Paul, for the good.

John Whaite won the third series of The Great British Bake Off and was runner up of the 2021 series of BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing on which he was the first all-male pairing in the show’s history. He is the author of five cookery books, John Whaite Bakes: Recipes for Every Dayand Every Mood, John Whaite Bakes At Home (published by Headline), Perfect Plates in 5 Ingredients, A Flash in the Pan (published by Kyle Books) and Comfort: Food to Soothe the Soul, which was chosen as Book of the Year 2017 by BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme.

John was a resident chef on ITV’s Lorraine for 4 years and is currently resident chef and guest presenter on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch. He is also a presenter on Food Unwrapped and is a regular chef for Waitrose online.

@john_whaite