60-year-old Nancy Birtwhistle last night became the oldest ever winner of BBC's Great British Bake Off.
After a stressful final, the Hull woman beat off competitors Luis Troyano and Richard Burr to be crowned the champion.
Her "Moulin Rouge" themed showstopper finale won over judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood who said they had no doubt as to who should win.
Nancy was the bookie's outsider going into the final, having only been given the title of star baker just once in the series.
But the three bakers were judged solely on their performance in the final episode, meaning Nancy had a fighting chance. "The final stands on its own, we don't look back," said Paul.
Nancy has been well-known for her safe and consistent creations throughout the show but she took things a step outside the box last night, even using a hand-crafted drainpipe tool to shape the brandy snap which formed the roof of her windmill creation.
Fellow contestant Richard was widely expected to win after being the star baker a record five times in a row. However nerves and panic in the final meant his final bake was lacking in finesse and his lemon tarts were compared to "sweet scrambled eggs" by Paul.
Nancy, whose husband, children and grandchildren were present to cheer her on, decribed the entire experience as a "terrific buzz" and said it was one of the best things she has ever done. "'There is nothing so scary as the final, and I didn't know if I would be able to cope with it, but I was fine," she said. "I have never been tested to that extent, or had that pressure before, but I realised I could be pretty stoic about it all."
