How a baking competition sparked a fierce debate over food and misogyny
In short: In 2013, Ruby Tandoh became a household name on The Great British Bake Off. But behind the scenes of the all-women final, she faced a wave of online vitriol and personal accusations that would eventually transform her from a baker into a powerful voice against food-related body shaming.
Ruby Tandoh first rose to prominence during the fourth series of the BBC's The Great British Bake Off in 2013. At twenty years old, she was the youngest competitor in that series and was considered a favorite to win by London bookmakers. However, her journey to the final was marked by intense online scrutiny. Critics accused her of being overly emotional, suggested she was flirting with judge Paul Hollywood to gain favor, and even claimed she used tears to secure her place in the final.
The backlash was so significant that for the following series in 2014, the BBC felt compelled to warn contestants about how to handle online trolls. Tandoh herself later described the criticism she received as surprising, personal, and misogynistic. This experience deeply influenced her subsequent career as an author and columnist. She has since used her platform to challenge the 'wellness' craze and the social justice implications of food culture, including the classism of sugar and the colonialist origins of tea.
Tandoh's perspective is shaped by her own history with eating disorders, which she describes as a combination of anorexia and binge-eating. She suffered from these conditions for six years, including during her time at University College London and her appearance on the show. This lived experience informs her advocacy for the unconditional enjoyment of food, a theme central to her 2018 Sunday Times bestseller, Eat Up!, and her 2021 book, Cook as You Are, which intentionally excludes food photography to encourage cooks to judge their own success rather than comparing it to staged professional images.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Ruby Tandoh
- Also: www.newyorker.com — Ruby Tandoh
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