The Truth About Chigs Parmar From The Great British Baking Show: Season 12

On September 14, a then-unknown UK national who had only just started posting on Instagram under the the @thelatebloomerUK handle, took to the photo-centric social media platform to announce something that most people in his life would probably say that they'd never seen coming. And that was that this charmingly scruffy-bearded, olive-skinned 40-year-old with the now-well-known infectious grin, Will Chirag "Chigs" Parmar (via People), had taught himself to bake during the COVID-19 pandemic and would soon be visible all over television screens in the UK and US as a contestant on the 12th season of "The Great British Bake Off," the televised cooking contest for amateur bakers that goes by the name of "The Great British Baking Show" when it streams in the US.

When Season 12 premiered one week later, it was not merely the first time that most of the many who now count themselves as big Chigs fans (via MSN TV) had become aware of Chigs; it also may have been the very first time that many who were already in Chigs' life were given even the slightest inkling that the sales manager from Leicester was into baking, let alone talented enough to distinguish himself before the likes of judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood (not to mention hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas or the millions of fans of the addictive baking show). Here is the surprising truth about Chigs from "The Great British Baking Show" Season 12.

"I started a new hobby at the beginning of lockdown," announced Will Chigar "Chigs" Parmar to his Instagram followers on September 14. For many who knew Chigs, particularly those who hadn't seen much of him since the COVID-19-related lockdowns began in early 2020, this news was surprising. But not nearly as surprising as what came next, which is that Chigs, who discovered his love of baking during the pandemic, would be a contestant on the upcoming season of "The Great British Bake Off." Cue the sound of an old-school vinyl record scratching to a stop — because the truth about Chigs of Season 12's "The Great British Bake Off" is that not only is the man new to baking, but he is also completely self-taught, with online videos seemingly his primary, if not sole, educational text (via People).

Despite his relative lack of experience, Chigs' time on the show was one of his "best experiences," he added at the end of the post. "Can't wait for everyone to see my journey." While it's unclear how many followers Chigs was addressing at the time, we do know this particular post garnered a "mere" 1,980 likes. Now, compare that to Chigs' latest, in which he teases the outcome of Week 9 of 10 (via Instagram). That one has received more than 14,000 likes in less than one day. Can we just say, "Well done, Chigs?"

Spoiler alert for those who have not yet seen the ninth episode of Season 12 of the "Great British Baking Show!" If you have not already heard, newbie and self-taught amateur baker, Will Chigar "Chigs" Parmar, has made it to this season's final three and will be competing for the major prestige and minor swag that will go to the eventual victor on the 12th season's finale (via Eater London). So, perhaps we should all agree that it can never really be said that there is nothing to be learned from watching the latest trending TikTok videos — or whatever else Chigs may have been watching online as he taught himself to bake over the last less-than-two-years. 

However, Chigs has also won acclaim not just as a talented force of baking nature, but also as the culinary world's latest heartthrob, according to People, which named him one of the 25 sexiest men you can watch on television right now. Nor will most people argue, at least not if you glance through all the gushing comments about Chigs that can be found on the subreddit dedicated to everything related to the "Great British" show about baking (via Reddit). Ultimately, the truth about Chigs is that we should probably expect to see a LOT more of him going forward.