Bake Off winner's husband serving seven years for money laundering

THE husband of the winner of the BBC show The Great British Bake Off is serving a jail sentence for his role in a Pounds 60million money laundering operation.

Jo Wheatley, 42, the winner of the cookery show, won the hearts of millions of viewers with her unassuming perfectionism.

Her husband, Richard, 44, is a professional poker player who admitted conspiracy with others to conceal, convert and transfer proceeds of crime.

He was sentenced to seven years at Southwark Crown Court on April 20 last year.

The BBC defended its decision to keep secret the conviction and said viewers did not need to know of it.

Mrs Wheatley, who married her husband when she was 17, told the show's producers of the situation with her husband at the outset. She said she had not wanted to make a fuss of the issue "as some X Factorstyle sob story".

Instead, she...