The Truth About Freya Cox From The Great British Baking Show: Season 12
For over 10 years now, "The Great British Baking Show" has been entertaining and inspiring viewers around the world. Each season kicks off with 12 contestants, who are eliminated one by one each week. The winners of the competition get a cake stand and bragging rights, per Insider. Because contestants who enter the competition cannot be culinary professionals, the show brings in people from all sorts of different backgrounds and skillsets. The bakers may even be teenagers, as is the case with Freya Cox, a 19-year-old competitor introduced in Season 12.
For fans impressed by this youngster's accomplishments, it might be interesting to know that Cox is pursuing a psychology degree. However, according to the series' website, she has been an avid viewer of "The Great British Baking Show" since it first aired in 2010 (when she was only 9 years old), with the dream of one day being in the Bakewell tent herself. Besides the fact that Cox clearly made her dream a reality, there's still plenty to learn about this young baker.
Cox was a rare vegan baker on the show
As the youngest contestant this season, Cox's role was to "force everyone in the tent to confront their own mortality," as The Takeout puts it. In addition to being a psychology student in university, the North Yorkshire, England, native is also a horse lover, per the "The Great British Baking Show" website. Unlike some of the other contestants in the tent, Cox eats a plant-based diet and made many vegan desserts on the show. According to Radio Times, Cox first started reimagining classics as vegan recipes about a year ago. During her time on "The Great British Baking Show," she hoped to excel in such a way that her vegan versions of favorite treats tasted just as good as the originals.
After Cox's elimination from the competition in the fifth week, former contestant Dan Beasley-Harling told Express that her determination to make (mostly) vegan food led to her downfall. Unfortunately, many baking necessities (like eggs) are difficult to substitute for vegan-friendly products, which is why Cox ultimately succumbed to making traditional recipes so as not to single herself out in front of judges. Although we are sad to see her go, there is no doubt that Cox inspired countless young and vegan bakers around the world.