Can you believe we’re just one week away from the long-awaited return of the Great British Bake Off to our screens?
Ahead of the new series launch, Channel 4 has unveiled the 12 amateur bakers we’ll be following the highs and lows of in the coming weeks.
Among them are a 70-year-old thrill-seeker, an accomplished trombonist from Germany and a car production operative who loves Salsa dancing and delving into the lives of serial killers.
So yes, you could probably say we’ve got another seriously eclectic line-up on our hands.
Get to know the 12 new bakers a lot better below...
Amanda
Age: 56
Job: Met Police Detective
From: London
Baking speciality: Amanda leans into her Greek-Cypriot heritage when she bakes, and also loves painting directly onto cake to give it a “pretty, feminine aesthetic inspired by her two daughters”.
Anything else we should know: She’s a big fan of outdoor swimming all year round – “the colder, the better” apparently.
Chigs
Age: 40
Job: Sales Manager
From: Leicester
Baking speciality: “Really intricate chocolate work”.
Anything else we should know: Chigs is a definite-thrill seeker, who loves bouldering, skydiving and trekking. He’s already mastered the Three Peaks Challenge and is now hoping to take on Kilimanjaro.
Crystelle
Age: 26
Job: Client Relationship Manager
From: London
Baking speciality: Crystelle loves to travel, which has inspired her to fuse spices from places she’s visited into her baking.
Anything else we should know: She speaks four languages and is a member of an online choir.
Freya
Age: 19
Job: Student
From: North Yorkshire
Baking speciality: Vegan baking and intricate designs
Anything else we should know: Freya has been dreaming of taking part in Bake Off since its first series (which aired when she was nine years old)
George
Age: 34
Job: Shared Lives Co-Ordinator
From: London
Baking speciality: George loves to include his home-grown herbs into his baking, and prefers a “shabby-chic, vintage vibe”.
Anything else we should know: A dad of three, George is an animal lover with a house full of pets.
Giuseppe
Age: 45
Job: Chief Engineer
From: Bristol
Baking speciality: Baking with Italian flavours, a nod to his own heritage.
Anything else we should know: His passions include design and architecture, having renovated his family home alongside his wife.
Jairzeno
Age: 51
Job: Head of Finance
From: London
Baking speciality: Jairzeno’s biggest baking obsession is “flavour combinations”, using “lots of Caribbean spices”.
Anything else we should know: He’s also a keen runner, competing in half marathons around the continent and taking part in the London marathon back in 2012.
Jürgen
Age: 56
Job: IT professional
From: Sussex
Baking speciality: Jürgen began baking when he was unable to find traditional German bread after moving to the UK, so decided to start making his own.
Anything else we should know: He’s an accomplished trombonist, a skill which he’s keen to keep in the family by passing on to his son.
Lizzie
Age: 28
Job: Car Production Operative
From: Liverpool
Baking speciality: Lizzie’s ”baking comfort zone” is cake, but she loves experimenting with flavour and is generally prepared to give anything a go… as long as it doesn’t involve putting cheese in bread, which she thinks can only spell disaster.
Anything else we should know: Lizzie’s non-baking passions include investigating the lives of serial killers and Latin dancing.
Maggie
Age: 70
Job: Retired nurse and midwife
From: Dorset
Baking speciality: Bread
Anything else we should know: Another Bake Off thrill-seeker, her interests include canoeing, kayaking and sailing.
Rochica
Age: 27
Job: Junior HR Business Partner
From: Birmingham
Baking speciality: Rochica says she bakes “in a way that reflects her Caribbean heritage: with flavour, passion and love”.
Anything else we should know: She first started baking when she was unable to pursue her first love, dancing, due to an injury. Fortunately, she’s made a recovery and is now able to dance again.
Tom
Age: 28
Job: Kent
From: Software developer
Baking speciality: Tom enjoys making recipes his own, “creating bakes that are fun and often follow a theme”
Anything else we should know: Tom also enjoys amateur dramatics, singing and running.
Great British Bake Off returns on Tuesday 21 September at 8pm on Channel 4
