Who is Kim-Joy? Meet the Great British Bake Off 2018 finalist

Mental health specialist Kim-Joy is one of the final three bakers aiming to win The Great British Bake Off 2018.

The Belgium-born 27-year-old is passionate about bread, and her birthday falls on World Baking Day – 17th May – which she sees as a sure sign that she was born to bake.

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Join us every Wednesday at 11am on the Radio Times YouTube Channel for a LIVE Bake Off recap and chat

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbs-Pk9dtKb--M4n1EU_vaYJXdWnrIUTG

Kim-Joy was raised in London by an English father and Malaysian-Chinese mother, before moving to Leeds, where she now lives with her partner.

She is the only baker in her family, and she says that she didn't have the confidence to bid for a place on the show until this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fULID0uG9Jk

"My friends have always wanted me to apply, but I didn't feel confident enough to apply until this year," she says. "I went into the tent mostly for myself to see if I could do it!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmguHfLlu3A/?taken-by=kimjoyskitchen

If she were tasked with constructing an illusion cake that looks like the real thing on GBBO, she says she would "make a magnifying glass with a chocolate handle, and 12 mini bakers wearing brown bake off aprons under the glass".

She added: "I think I would prefer to do something that wasn't completely realistic, though, as I enjoy having the freedom to create my own twist on things!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPrc22c6TR4

Kim-Joy's Bake Off journey

Kim-Joy nearly quit the show in Patisserie Week when she just couldn't get the consistency of her chocolate mousse right. But she got there in the end and made it through to the final.

https://twitter.com/DebbDibdab/status/1054817602214813696

Danish Week proved a little emotional for Kim-Joy, whose pastry creation didn't go down as well as expected... but she still made it through to the semi-finals.

https://twitter.com/kimjoyskitchen/status/1052297761683517441

After bringing incredible, artistic creations to the tent week in week out, Kim-Joy was finally crowned Star Baker in Spice Week after she wowed the judges with her beautifully intricate spiced biscuit chandelier which you can see below, as well as a throwback to those amazing space turtles from Dessert Week.

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1044678450286669825

https://twitter.com/BritishBakeOff/status/1042142151826649089