'Great British Bake Off' Contestant Mat Riley Involved In Fatal Road Crash As 22-Year-Old
Widow Forgives 'Bake Off' Star For Causing Fatal Road Crash
Ashley Percival— The Huffington Post UK
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‘Great British Bake Off’ hopeful Mat Riley was involved in a car accident that killed a man, it has been reported.
The widow of Michael Turner, who died in a Sussex road crash in 2000 after Mat’s car pulled into his path, has spoken out to say she has no ill feeling towards him for what happened.
The paper claims the accident happened when Mat pulled out of a junction but stopped in the path of Michael’s motorbike.
Following an inquest, the ‘Bake Off’ star, who was 22 at the time, was prosecuted for careless driving but escaped jail, receiving a fine and a one-year driving ban.
“I still miss Michael every day, we were soulmates. Nobody else comes close.”
She added that 37-year-old Mat’s job as a firefighter could be his way of “coming to terms” with the accident, “paying his debt” by saving other people’s lives.
Mat is not the only ‘Bake Off’ star with a tragic past, as earlier this month, it was revealed that Paul Jagger’s best friend murdered his wife and two children.
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'Bake Off' hopeful Paul Jager
According to the Daily Mail, Anthony Smith shot wife Kay and six-year-old Gemma and Adam, three, before taking his own life at their family house in Heathside Park, Camberley in 2001.
Paul served as Anthony's best man at his wedding in 1998 and was said to be very shaken by the tragedy at the time.
'Great British Bake Off' 2015: Meet The Contestants
Stu, 35(01 of12)
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Stu’s a professional musician and has toured the world as lead singer of his band. He lives in Surrey with his wife and two children and has been baking from a young age. He used to watch his parents in the restaurant kitchen they owned and was always amazed by the magic of the oven and "how something liquid could go in and out would come this fluffed-up awesomeness". He is confident with most genres of baking and is fascinated by the science of it all. He enjoys trialling different flavour combinations, especially Middle Eastern spices. (credit:BBC)
Ugne, 32(02 of12)
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While baking is her main hobby, Ugne is also a bodybuilder. Originally from Lithuania, Ugne now lives in Essex with her partner, also a bodybuilder, and their two young children, and works as a PA and administrator. Ugne learnt to bake from her mother and grandmother, who used Eastern European baking methods and utensils. She loves English baking and each day makes her family bread, pies and pastries, but also likes to incorporate traditional Lithuanian flavours into her bakes to remind her of home. Ugne enjoys being ambitious with her presentation and ingredients - and isn’t afraid of the odd theatrical bake. (credit:BBC)
Paul, 49(03 of12)
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Paul lives in Wales and has been a prison governor for eight years. Before that, he performed ceremonial duties at Buckingham Palace in the Coldstream Guards. He sees being in The Great British Bake Off as “an opportunity to show that men like me, stereotyped by our jobs, do and can love baking and that it is a skill and talent to be proud of". He may have a demanding, authoritative job, but Paul enjoys learning intricate skills like sugar-work to make his bakes beautiful. When not baking, Paul loves the outdoors and exploring the Welsh countryside with his wife and three sons. (credit:BBC)
Nadiya, 30(04 of12)
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Nadiya has been baking for 10 years after wondering why her father only served ice cream for dessert at his restaurant. Her family is originally from Bangladesh, where desserts aren't a big feature of mealtimes, but encouraged by a school home economics teacher, Nadiya now delivers beautiful masterpieces at family occasions. Born in Luton, she now lives in Leeds with her husband and is full time mum to their three children. Having put her career on the backburner to devote her life to her family, with their support she now feels inspired to have her own adventure - and make them proud. (credit:BBC)
Tamal, 29(05 of12)
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Tamal is a trainee anaesthetist working at a hospital in Manchester. He grew up in Hertfordshire where his parents moved from India in the 1960s. His older sister played a big part in bringing him up and taught him to bake. She gave Tamal the ultimate compliment when he was asked to bake her wedding cake. Since then, he is regularly asked to bake family and friends' wedding cakes too - the largest one was five tiers. (credit:BBC)
Flora, 19(06 of12)
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At 19, Flora is this year’s youngest baker. An old head on young shoulders, Flora’s an assistant at a contemporary art gallery while she waits to start her history of art degree. Flora lives at home with her parents and two younger sisters in the Scottish countryside, 20 minutes from the nearest shop. But she always makes sure the larder is stocked, and regularly bakes cakes and loaves for the family, often filling the freezer up with ingredients. Flora comes from a big family of bakers and can’t remember ever not baking. But standards have to be high to impress her harshest critics – her sisters. (credit:BBC)
Alvin, 37(07 of12)
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Alvin is originally from the Philippines, and works as a nurse in Berkshire, where he lives with his wife and their two children. He’s constantly jotting down everything from recipes to techniques so he can pass all his knowledge on to them both as they grow up. Seven years ago, he questioned why he was buying bread and cakes when he had an oven. And now he bakes at least four times a week and owns every tin imaginable - much to his wife’s amusement. A true perfectionist, Alvin once baked bread every day for three weeks until he believed he’d got it right. (credit:BBC)
Dorret, 53(08 of12)
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Dorret’s family are from the West Indies but she grew up in Preston and works as an accountant. A self-confessed foodie, Dorret has been baking for 40 years and enjoys tap dancing, ballet and salsa to counteract the calories she consumes. Dorret and her husband regularly visit Michelin-starred restaurants for inspiration and ideas for their next culinary experiment, and often host dinner parties to impress their friends with their skills. Mother to her 21-year-old daughter, Dorret’s dream is to go to the Cordon Bleu school in Paris. (credit:BBC)
Ian, 41(09 of12)
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Ian lives in Cambridgeshire with his wife and two children. He’s a travel photographer and has the honour of being the Dalai Lama’s personal snapper when he visits the UK. In recent years, Ian’s become more of a househusband and while his wife heads to work he often spends his days making giant catapults and zip wires for his children to play with. He started baking six years ago because he wanted them to have fresh bread every day. Ian’s passion for foraging and travelling the world mean he’s never afraid to bake with an unusual discovery from his garden - or much further afield. (credit:BBC)
Marie, 66(10 of12)
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Marie was entered for The Great British Bake Off by her daughter, but her children claim at one point when they were growing up their mum couldn’t even boil an egg - so Marie’s come a long way. The turning point came in her thirties when Marie moved to Paris with her family and was inspired by all the French Patisseries. She fell in love with baking, specialising in elaborate, show-stopping decorations. But Marie also likes simple baking too and makes bread so her grandchildren can have “proper packed lunches”. (credit:BBC)
Mat, 37(11 of12)
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Mat began baking three years ago in between shifts as a London fire fighter. He’s now mastered not only simple cakes and biscuits but bread, pastries and pies. Preferring sweet over savoury baking, Mat calls himself a “competent amateur” who “learns every time he bakes”. Mat lives with his wife in London. He says his greatest ambition is to own a dishwasher. (credit:BBC)
Sandy, 49(12 of12)
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Sandy is a child welfare officer who lives and works near Bradford. Mother of one, Sandy says that she bakes to show her family, friends and colleagues that she cares about them. Sandy started baking as a child and likens her style to the way she’d describe herself: “it might not be glamorous but it’s tasty”. In her job, she helps young people with emotional issues and after work Sandy also volunteers at the school, running a cookery club where she teaches children from deprived backgrounds to bake on a budget. (credit:BBC)