Video exclusive: Baking James on life after GBBO

Jill Castle

Digital journalist

Friday 19 October 2012

For viewers, it was a weekly way of life.

James with GBBO judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood

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For one Scot, reaching the final of the Great British Bake Off has changed his life.

James Morton, who became a firm fans’ favourite after appearing in the cult BBC2 baking show, was mobbed during an unscheduled appearance at the BBC’s Good Food Show Scotland at Glasgow’s SECC.

The 21-year-old Glasgow University medical student, from Hillswick in Shetland, told HeraldScotland he is now adjusting to life after the show and is delighted he can finally talk about the outcome of Tuesday’s final, which has been under wraps for four months. He said: “It feels really weird being able to talk about the final, I feel like I should not be mentioning stuff, but it feels nice to just be able to relax and say what you feel. I had no idea I would get that far.” James spoke about his determination to promote his Scottish identity. “People have cottoned on to the fact that I wear a lot of Fair Isle and that was just because I thought I was going to go out in the first couple of weeks so I just wanted to get it out there. “I was looking to promote Scotland and Shetland as much as I could and even when I got to the final I managed to get my political views across as well (with his ill-starred Union Jack cake ensemble).” On his newfound fame, he said: “It’s been lovely, people have been very nice. You do get recognised a lot and sometimes it’s nice and sometimes it’s a bit weird. I get hundreds of weird requests on Twitter every day and most of them I don’t see and the rest of them I ignore. “The weirdest thing that’s happened to me is getting recognised in Aberdeen, that’s always a bit weird.” James, the son of Scottish broadcaster, writer and musician Tom Morton, narrowly missed out on the Bake Off title after losing to law student John Whaite in the final. However, despite it being difficult to disappoint his friends and fans, James thinks the right person won. He said: “It was hard not to be a little disappointed but, on reflection, the right person won. I think John can make a great career out of it and that’s something that Brendan (Lynch, the third finalist) and I wouldn’t be able to do. “I think a lot of people, especially in Scotland, thought I was going to win so it was difficult to disappoint them. A lot of my friends thought I was going to win and it was a bit rubbish to say to them actually it wisnae me. “I know I’ve done well but I would’ve liked to have done it for all the people that supported me rather than for myself.”

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Video exclusive: Baking James on life after GBBO

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