The Truth About Maggie From The Great British Baking Show: Season 12

Pour yourself a piping hot cuppa, grab a sugary sweet scone, and snuggle up with a cozy blanket, because Season 12 of the "The Great British Baking Show" is finally here. Under the iconic big tent, 12 contestants are competing for the title of the best baker. Through a series of culinary challenges — from homemade bread to fancy pastries — they're whipping, folding, kneading, and icing their way to the finale. The only way to get there is to create a dish that impresses well-known judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.

Since the new season aired on September 24, 2021, a handful of bakers have already been sent home. One of those departed contestants? Maggie, a 70-year-old retiree from Dorset, South West England, left after the fourth week when Paul was not at all happy with her toffee puddings (via Entertainment Daily). But despite no longer being on the show, Maggie has quite an interesting background. Here's what you likely didn't know about the show's eldest baker.

While some contestants on "The Great British Baking Show" have backgrounds in food — whether it's baking from a young age or growing up with parents who were professional chefs — Maggie had a completely different career for all of her life. The 70-year-old is a retired nurse and midwife, and while her job in healthcare didn't teach her how to bake, it did give her some other skills that came in handy on the show (via Radio Times). According to her biography, the Dorset native thinks the excitement of delivering babies prepared her for the adrenaline-pumping competition. "Who would have thought that at my time of life I would have been picked to have the time of my life!" she posted on social media after her departure (via Digital Spy).

Maggie doesn't regret her time on the show, nor does she regret the years she spent as a midwife. "At my age, my life has crossed many paths and many people. Being a midwife was such a huge piece of my life," she wrote on Instagram, adding, "One of the most amazing part of my #GBBO journey has been the lovely messages of support I have received."