John Whaite dishes on baking fails, ‘Strictly’ stress, & his vulnerable memoir ‘Dancing On Eggshells’
The Great British Baking Show, where he spoke publicly about being part of the LGBTQ+ community for the first time. Though only 22 and fresh out of securing a law degree, Whaite impressed the judges and audiences alike, winning his season.His next dance *wink, wink* with reality television came less than a decade later when he competed on the 19th season of Strictly Come Dancing (the U.K.
predecessor to Dancing With The Stars) alongside Johannes Radebe, making history as the show’s first-ever male pairing. A total fan favorite, the duo placed second.Now, Whaite opens up about his childhood, his Baking Show breakthrough, his Strictly success, and everything in between in his vulnerable, honest, life-affirming memoir, Dancing On Eggshells.The book—which showcases Whaite’s recipes and kitchen tips, connecting each to different parts of his own life story—leaves nothing off the table.
Still, we had so much more to ask him, so we invited Whaite to be the latest guest of our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It.
In our conversation, the chef and author reveals his go-to comfort dish, his dinner party flop, and the cathartic experience of writing Dancing On Eggshells.A post shared by John Whaite (@john_whaite)Is there a piece of media—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, theater, video game, etc.—that you consider a big part of your own coming-out journey or that has played an important role in your understanding of queerness?
