'Feel the fear and do it anyway': Temora's Dimi Jayawardene on her inspiring journey on The Great Australian Bake Off

Even though Dimi Jayawardene didn’t clinch the title on The Great Australian Bake Off, she still felt like a winner.

Temora’s self-proclaimed “Procrastibaker” was one of the top three finalists in this year’s The Great Australian Bake Off. The finale, aired on Wednesday (20 November), crowned Arvin Garcia as the winner.

“Being in the top three was just as big as being the winner. The three of us were so close — having that friendship, we were happy for whoever won,” Dimi told Region.

“Arvin nailed it the whole season … anything could have happened that day. Either of us could have won.

“Arvin was shining the whole way through, and bake after bake, he excelled. He 100 per cent deserved to be the winner.”

Dimi’s showstopper, titled ‘From Seed to Bloom’, perfectly captured her journey on the show.

“I didn’t start off strong — I hovered in the middle for much of it. But once I started believing in myself and my abilities, everything changed,” she said.

“My confidence grew, and so did the quality of my bakes. It truly felt like I had blossomed. ‘From Seed to Bloom’ — what an unforgettable experience.”

Dimi watched the season eight finale with around 80 family and friends at the Shamrock Hotel.

She shared that, despite watching the finale with her support system, she felt “overwhelmed, excited, and proud” but also found herself processing a swirl of emotions.

“It’s weird. I don’t know how to explain it. So many people have watched it, but I still feel like it’s just been me, watching it by myself,” Dimi said.

“Maybe it’s seeing it again, in a different light. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.”

Dimi said it was “incredible” to have everyone attend her finale party.

“The support has been overwhelming, and I’m so lucky to come from a community like Temora that’s so supportive.

“Temora embraced Bake Off, and it was special to share this journey with not just my family, but the whole community.”

The 40-year-old revealed her biggest takeaway from the experience was “to feel the fear and do it anyway”.

“The biggest takeaway is to believe in yourself, follow your dreams, put yourself out there, feel the fear, and do it anyway.

“It’s more than just a baking show — it brings communities together and lets you share your dreams and passions with people you love.”

Walking away as one of the top three contestants, the amateur baker is confident she can take on any challenge that comes her way.

“What I’ve learned about myself is that if I put my mind to something, I can achieve it,” Dimi said.

“I will do this. I’ll take it on and make things happen, no matter how difficult it feels or how exhausted I am.”

Going forward, the early childhood teacher plans to keep her Celebrated by Dimi Facebook and Instagram pages active.

“I can’t even think about it right now; there’s so much I need to process and figure out the direction I want to take … hopefully more collaborations in the coming year with different brands, and continuing to promote Temora and the Riverina through my work.

“My life will always be about food.”

Dimi thanked The Great Australian Bake Off and Foxtel for making her dream a reality.

“I’d like to thank all my family, friends, and Temora for their support.

“Mum and Dad have been a huge support through this whole journey. They’ve actually been on Bake Off without being on Bake Off.”

Follow Dimi via her Celebrate by Dimi on Facebook and Instagram to follow her future baking journey.