Warning: This article contains spoilers from the 2024 finale of The Great British Baking Show.

The coveted cake stand trophy has a new owner.

After a season filled with rigorous baking challenges, mysterious illnesses and the series’ first “Paul Pat” (a gesture given by judge Paul Hollywood to contestants who almost earn his approval handshake), the 2024 Great British Baking Show series ended with a history-making winner.

On Friday, Nov. 29, the Netflix-distributed series released the show’s 2024 season finale and, at the end, revealed the new champion: 34-year-old Georgie Grasso. The pediatric nurse from Carmarthenshire, U.K. marks the competition series’ first winner from Wales in its 15-year run.

After nine episodes of themed competitions — from cake and chocolate to bread and patisserie — the original 12 contestants dwindled down to three talented home bakers. Grasso snagged the crown after facing off against fellow finalists Dylan Bachelet and Christiaan de Vries.

In the finale, judges Hollywood and Prue Leith. asked the bakers to tackle three baking projects: the signature challenge (this time, it was the British classic scones), a technical challenge (where bakers are given a new recipe which they must make on-the-spot — and, for this episode, it was an afternoon tea spread), and a final show-stopper challenge (where Grasso, Bachelet and de Vries created hanging, tiered cakes).

It was her gravity-defying lemon and elderflower cake with strawberry and champagne confit that secured Grasso’s victory.

After hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding announced Grasso’s victory, the humble home baker had a hard time believing her victory. “This is mad!  I have won it, I can’t believe it. This is just incredible. I can’t believe that I have won The Great British Bake-Off,” she said.

American audiences on Netflix and Roku know the show as The Great British Baking Show, but in the U.K., the show airs under its original name, The Great British Bake-Off.

Despite her disbelief, the judges maintained their confidence in Grasso.

“Georgie did what she does best. Classic British baking beautifully done, and won it and quite right, too,” Leith remarked in the finale.

Hollywood agreed: “That’s a very special cake full of flavor and full of life. The Welsh Wonder, Georgie, smashed it out of the park.”

The momentous win didn’t come without sacrifices, Grasso explained in the episode. “Working all hours and I sacrificed time with the kids and the family. I am just so proud of myself because I have proved I can do it,” she said.

“I am already feeling sad that I am not coming back here and not seeing everyone….the people I have met are going to be best friends for life. This is the best thing I have ever done,” Grasso said.

Grasso reflected more on her win in a celebratory Instagram post shared on Nov. 26 (the day that the finale aired in the U.K.) and wrote about overcoming her learning disability.

“Words cannot describe this feeling. As a woman with ADHD who has struggled all my life to fit in, to finish anything I’ve ever started, I cannot believe I have overcome a lifetime of struggles,” she wrote, adding words of advice for other people who struggle with similar learning and mental health issues. “To those of you who are neurodivergent, who have self doubt, who struggle with your mental health. I want to say this.. these moments of struggle are not forever, your differences make you powerful and strong. You can do absolutely anything you want to do when you set your mind to it, I am proof of that. Believe in yourself, love who you are no matter what.”

In addition to thanking her contestants (“I absolutely adore you all!” she wrote about the 11 other bakers), Grasso expressed her gratitude for the hosts, judges and crew. 

“To have worked alongside Paul, Prue, Alison and Noel has been an absolute dream and honour, you really are some of the best people ever, and I hope we meet again soon!” she wrote. “To the production team and crew, you were like family to all of us, and I know none of us will forget you!”

The 2024 season and earlier seasons of The Great British Baking Show are now streaming on Netflix.

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