Great British Bake Off's John Whaite announces marriage to partner of 16 years

Whaite and Atkins have been together for 16 years, and initially announced their engagement back in 2017. However, during an interview with The Times last year, Whaite admitted that they “spent some time apart” after he fell for the dancer he was partnered with on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.

At the time, Whaite and Johannes Radebe were praised as the first same-sex male dance partners on the popular UK dance competition show.

“For a while, Paul and I had to have some time apart. I felt like I didn’t know what I wanted from my existence any more,” he wrote in his memoir. “Fourteen years in a solid relationship with a man who loves me unconditionally, a man who would move the earth to make me feel safe and I was p***ing all over it.”

At the time, he also added that he still loved Radebe, but was focused on making his relationship with Atkins work.

Hopefully, wedding bells signify Whaite has done exactly that. Fans and friends alike were certainly thrilled to hear the announcement on social media, and were quick to offer their congratulations.

“How lucky we are to live in a time when so many of you are being so beautiful and kind about two fellas getting hitched,” Whaite wrote in a subsequent Instagram Story. “I’m sure many queer kids lived in deep fear that this would never happen (in some places that fear is still very much a reality).”

“Love always wins,” he added, “it has to.”