If you’ve picked up today’s copy of heat you’ll see our number one baker, hot John Whaite half naked and looking gorgeous in our Manwatch section.

This cheeky chappie is currently showcasing his talents in the amazing BBC2’s The Great British Bake Off and last week we settled down for a chat to find out more about the man behind the apron.

Turn’s out the cheeky Mancunian likes to strip when drunk, is bi-lingual and will cook you into bed. Oh la la.

So John, tell us five random things about yourself?

• I’ve got nine tattoo’s. My favourite is the massive Buddha that I’ve got on my back, it spans half the size of my back. I like it because it’s artistic, it took a long time to do and I don’t think many other people will have it.
• I speak three languages, French, Spanish and Italian
• In 2008, I lived in Italy for two months in Rome and Milan – it was wicked.
• I got my nose pierced during filming for the bake-off – I think Mary was quite horrified because she didn’t talk to me for a long time after that. I think it was just a bit of a shock for her, poor Maza!
• And, I like to get stark bollock naked when I’m drunk – I just want to hang free, free and loose.

Lovely!

Much the shame for us, the hotty is in a long-term relationship – but as he said himself, “you can look but you can’t touch”. Oh we will.

Why do you love baking?

I love baking because not only is it therapeutic, it’s also arty expression. You know, I’ve got two left hands, I couldn’t paint or anything like that. I do think I’m a troubled artist inside and I like to bake to release that.

So you can bake, but can you cook?

I think I can cook – all my flat mates and friends love my chicken in a brandy and peppercorn sauce! It’s like flambéed brandy, then you fry the chicken in it with loads of cream and peppercorns – but I also do a pretty mean spaghetti carbonara and it’s not out of a jar I hasten to add! I make it from scratch.

Have you ever baked to get out of someone’s bad books?

Me and my old flat mate had quite a big argument last year so I made her a massive cake, like a wedding cake for her just because, we used to do spontaneous, random things so I thought, right to make up I’ll make her a big, wedding cake! It did the trick! When she got it she said, ‘you’re a cock but I love you’!

What sort of attention are you getting?

No-one’s recognised me which I’m quite glad of because I don’t know what I’d do if someone stopped me on the street.

Have their been any celebs or chefs showing their support for you?

Eric Lanlard who is a massive French Pâtissier, he’s a genius! He’s been really, really supportive and has been tweeting me a lot saying "good work" and stuff like that! It’s nice, because he’s one of the people that I look up to in baking – I think he’s a genius – so to have him tweet me makes me really inspired and makes me want to carry on baking really!

Also, the previous winners, Jo from last year and Ed from the first year have written some nice things like "I’m up there in their favourites" and that kind of thing and it’s lovely to read.

You are our big baking crush, how does that feel?

It’s really honouring and quite surreal, really surreal. I always thought that you’d all flock around Paul Hollywood the Silver Fox.

Is Paul Hollywood as lovely in real life as he is on television?

He is, he’s a handsome man – his eyes are actually more piercing in real life than they are on TV. To look at him, you actually get really scared because he looks like a menacing robot – those eyes are just incredible. He’s dead nice, he’s dead genuine and he’s always up for a good laugh.

Have you ever had a baking disaster?

My biggest baking disaster was in the first episode when I was salting that big batch of rum baba. I put shit loads of salt of them – but accidents happen, you know.

What would you bake for us in the heat office when we’re all really hard at work?

I’d bake you all a giant slab of rocky road – it’s got elements of things that all different people will like! You can’t go wrong with chocolate can you?

No you can’t!

We've also got the recipe for hot John's boozy hazelnut chocolate fondant - just in case you feel like getting your bake on.

If you haven’t picked up the latest copy of heat then you’re missing out on seeing this cuties half naked bod. Go and get it. And enjoy.