Candice Brown has been told to quit teaching by her school’s head teacher.
The 31-year-old PE teacher returned to teach pupils at Ashlyns School in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, immediately after winning the ‘Great British Bake Off’ over the summer, but was advised to leave by the authoritative figure to focus solely on a career in baking where she can give "100 per cent" to one job.
Speaking to the Mirror Online about her departure, the red-haired beauty said: "I have been teaching for about eight years now and I love it. But since winning the final, I have also been completely bowled over by the amazing opportunities that I have been offered.
"My headteacher told me: ‘You’ve got to do this, you can’t do it half-heartedly. I wouldn’t forgive myself if you missed out. It’s not that we don’t want you here but you have to give it 100 per cent. If we can’t encourage our staff to follow their dreams and inspire, then we are not doing our job properly. You are showing the kids that anything is possible.’ It was so incredibly lovely of him to say this.
"At first, I kept telling the school I would stay until December but they were so incredible and told me I had to grab everything whilst I could.
"I can’t thank the school enough, especially my head of department, Elly, who has been amazing, and I feel so grateful for the fact they have been so supportive. I keep thanking them all the time! It’s such a great new chapter for me.
"If it hadn’t been for the school being so supportive at the beginning and letting me go and film ‘Bake Off’, I wouldn’t be here now."
And Candice – who was known for experimenting with a variety of lipstick colours whilst on the baking show – has admitted giving up her role as a teacher was an "agonising" decision to make.
She explained: "This has been such an agonising decision to make. Never in a million years did I ever go into the show thinking this would happen. That is why I have been back at school teaching since I won the final."
Candice has revealed she will miss her students "so much", although they often quizzed her on why she returned to teaching after winning the show.
She said: "I will miss them so much. I work in special needs and you are fighting the children’s corner so much. But I have had long conversations with my parents and my boyfriend, Liam, and I know it is the right decision. Leaving on Friday was emotional but I am excited about the future now, scared, too, and I am a bit of a worrier… but I cannot thank everybody enough for giving me this amazing opportunity and for my school letting me grab it with both hands and running with it."
Candice Brown told to quit teaching by head teacher
