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Bake Off star 'begged' for stand mixer at Christmas

Henry Godfrey-EvansEssex
News imageThe Great British Bake Off A promo image featuring a man who is doing a peace sign, doing a cheeky smile and looking through the hole in a donutThe Great British Bake Off
Moyin first picked up a wooden spoon at five years old

The Great British Bake Off contestant Moyin Odeniran is currently studying political economy, but as a 12-year-old he was badgering his mum to buy him a stand mixer for Christmas.

The 22-year-old from Essex would bake cakes and make pasta with his mum and sister back when he was a child, but he wanted more kit.

He said: "I begged her, begged her for like a Christmas present and she was like 'you're not going to use it, you're not going to use it' and I told her 'I promise you I'm going to use this thing'."

Odeniran then taught himself further using online videos and learned to make macarons by the time he was 14.

However, he says croissants are one thing he has been unable to "master".

'Go, go, go'

News imageThe Great British Bake Off A man with glasses focusing on icing something in a kitchenThe Great British Bake Off
As a competitive sprinter, speed and pressure is not new to Moyin

While baking at home is done at a stroll, Odeniran told BBC Essex presenter Sonia Watson that the Channel 4 TV show was a totally different ball game.

"Everything about baking [at home] is like calm, relaxing. You take your time, do it slowly," said the contestant, who is from Loughton.

"It's just basically removed. It's go, go, go, go, go. And it's just a wild experience.

"You don't even have time to think... your hands just move."

'I love her'

News imageThe Great British Bake Off Nigella Lawson putting her hand around Paul Hollywood's right shoulder while both are grinning and laughing. Hollywood is stroking his chin.The Great British Bake Off
Chef Nigella Lawson joined the new series which began on TV on Tuesday

Nigella Lawson joined Paul Hollywood for this series.

"She's absolutely amazing. I love her so much," Odeniran said.

"When I found out it was her, I was in shock because it's something you would never expect, right? She's such a lovely figure and she's even better in real life. I can't even describe it.

"Everything you see on the screen of her normally is what you get."

News imageThe Great British Bake Off A group of 12 people posing together in a TV kitchen. They are all wearing brown aprons. Three are sitting at the front - two on wooden chairs and one in a wheelchair.The Great British Bake Off
The Great British Bake Off returns for its 17th series

Applications for this year's Bake Off contest closed in December.

"Probably over 50 people told me to apply over the course of the last year," Odeniran said.

His friends "went ballistic" when they found out he was on the show and more than a hundred of his peers gathered to his local church to watch the first episode.

He said he would be baking cakes for all of them.

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