A fresh bakers dozen have been unveiled as Channel 4 reveals that the Great British Bake Off is returning to screens on September 2.
Series 16 will see 12 contestants go head to head in the famous tent under the watchful eye of returning judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding.
Among them are a bridal designer, a grandmother, a med student who at 23 is the series’ youngest contestant as well as two hairdressers and a rollerskating drag king.
Multitalented Jessika is among those hoping to win the coveted Star Baker accolades and a Hollywood handshake or two.
The London based service designer performs a rollerskating Drag King act and is also a keen gymnast.
The 32-year-old said: ‘Seeing the big white tent for the first time was so weird. I’ve watched the show for years, and entertained the idea that, potentially, maybe, one day, this girl could quite possibly bake up a storm for the judges.
A fresh bakers dozen have been unveiled as Channel 4 reveals that the Great British Bake Off is returning to screens on September 2 (pictured back: Toby, Nadia, Aaron, Leighton, Jessika, Jasmine, Hassan, Lesley, front: Tom, Pui Man, Iain, Nataliia)
Meanwhile former amateur powerlifter Iain looks to give Jessika a run for her money, quipping that he has given himself the nickname Yeastie Boy thanks to his penchant for putting album covers onto the crusts of his loaves.
The 29-year-old software engineer said: ‘When I got the call to confirm my place I was in sheer disbelief, I had no idea it would actually happen.
‘I thought it was a prank at first, I got a call a few minutes after being told and I thought they were going to tell me they made a mistake and I wasn’t actually on the show!’
At 23 medical student Edinburgh-born Jasmine is this year’s youngest hopeful.
The London based contestant learnt the art of baking through her mother and aunts and has revealed she likes ‘using classic flavours and techniques to produce delicious bakes.’
Hairdresser Lesley, 53, is also inspired by her family, passing on her kitchen skills to her granddaughter Mabel after falling in love with baking as a child herself, thanks her Nanny Mable and Auntie Joan.
There’s another hairdresser in the mix. 41-year-old Nadia is inspired by her Italian chef dad and loves to blend Indian and Italian flavours.
Toby, 29, a business development executive from Warwickshire, said he loves to refuel after a gruelling workout with his strawberry cheesecake.
Bridal designer Pui Man, 51, hails from Essex, and rediscovered her passion for baking during the Covid lockdown.
The contestants unveiling comes shortly after a brand-new trailer for the series sent fans into panic.
Multitalented Jessika, who performs a rollerskating drag act, is among those hoping to win the coveted Star Baker accolades and a Hollywood handshake or two
At 23 medical student Edinburgh-born Jasmine is this year’s youngest hopeful
Meanwhile former amateur powerlifter Iain looks to give Jessika a run for her money, quipping that he has given himself the nickname Yeastie Boy
The much-loved baking competition has become an autumn TV tradition, drawing in millions each year for a mix of spectacular showstoppers and kitchen disasters.
With the next series just weeks from hitting screens, Channel 4 dropped a first look at the action inside the famous white tent last week, unveiling the official host and judge line-up.
However Prue, a long-standing member of the judging panel, is nowhere to be seen in the teaser.
In the latest Great British Bake Off’s trailer, Joe Wilkinson takes on the role of the narrator, which features a space-themed twist.
The clip shows baking ingredients floating through space before hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond appear as animated characters.
Joe can be heard joking: ‘From it grew life, intelligent life, adorned in knitwear and leopard print.’
Series 16 will see 12 contestants go head to head in the famous tent under the watchful eye of returning judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding
Hairdresser Lesley, 53, is inspired by her family, passing on her kitchen skills to her granddaughter Mabel after falling in love with baking as a child herself
There’s another hairdresser in the mix. 41-year-old Nadia is inspired by her Italian chef dad and loves to blend Indian and Italian flavours
Office assistant Nataliia was born in Ukraine and moved to England shortly before the war broke out
Toby, 29, a business development executive from Warwickshire, said he loves to refuel after a gruelling workout with his strawberry cheesecake
Inspired by the Big Bang, the trailer replaces dust and gas with an explosion of flour, sugar and cakes, ending with the image of judge Paul Hollywood’s blue eye.
At first glance it looks as though Prue does not feature in the trailer, but in fact she is the sun in the animated clip.
But clearly many missed the nod, with one fan writing on X: ‘Where’s Prue?! She better be back or I’m not watching fr [for real].’
‘Eeeerm Prue?’ another echoed.
‘Need Prue to balance out Paul,’ a third chimed in alongside a crying emoji.
‘Noooo Prue can’t leave,’ a fourth complained.
Channel 4 has confirmed she will be part of the new series.
Aaron, 38, is a senior systems architect from London, while Leighton, 59, hails from Surrey and works as a Software Delivery Manager
Bridal designer Pui Man, 51, hails from Essex, and rediscovered her passion for baking during the Covid lockdown
Creative Entrepreneur Tom from London learned to bake scones and flapjacks with his mum and Danish Granny
Chemistry graduate Hassan is inspired by his Pakistani heritage as well as his passion for science, carefully researching before experimenting with his bakes
They said: ‘As the ovens fire up and a new batch of bakers steps into the iconic tent to face Paul and Prue, audiences can expect all the classic ingredients – warmth, humour, creativity, and just the right amount of competition.
‘This autumn, let the universe of Bake Off pull you in once again. Because, as the trail says, once there was nothing, and then there was Bake Off.’
This year’s series doesn’t yet have a confirmed release date, but it has been teased as ‘soon’.
Concerned fans previously speculated about Prue’s future on the show.
She’s been at the helm of Great British Bake Off since 2017, but earlier this year, she said this year’s series could be her last.
The 85-year-old told The Mail on Sunday she was ‘very keen’ to step away from the popular Channel 4 show before she was pushed, and ‘might stop next year’.
The filming schedule, which involves long hours under the summer sun at Welford Park in Berkshire, is taking its toll on the television chef.
She said: ‘I’m doing this year’s Bake Off, and I don’t know if this will be my last. I’ve got to stop some time, so I might stop next year.
‘I thought I’d just see how I go this year, because I definitely feel a bit older this year than I did last year.
‘Things like getting out of a chair takes me longer than it used to. I don’t like big steps without a handrail. None of these things worried me two years ago – I could run upstairs – and so I’m very keen to leave Bake Off before I’m asked to leave.
‘But on the other hand, I really enjoy it.’
Prue is also a co-host of US spin-off The Great American Baking Show, and is weighing up leaving that programme too.
She took over the role of judge on the competition in 2017, when Dame Mary Berry, 89, stood down.
The star has also outlasted the programme’s hosts Sandi Toksvig, 66, who co-presented the show from 2017 to 2019, and Matt Lucas, 50, who served from 2020 to 2022.
