Never one to stick to a recipe, Sura loves to improvise in the kitchen and inject her bakes with as much personality as possible. I was looking forward to meeting Prue the most. She specialises in decoration and is proud to have mastered the art of piped buttercream flowers. The efforts of all the show’s fabulous presenters and judges shouldn’t be dismissed as simply set dressing – their performances and expertise add to the show’s family-friendly, playful tone that allows viewers to escape life and flee to the Bake Off tent for an hour. I just wanted to do my best and show people how much I loved to bake. Dave bakes at least once a week, always while listening to his favourite punk rock bands. that inspired him to start baking for himself – he has watched every series since the first and has been baking seriously since he was only 12 years old. Then don’t miss out on the chance to get this fabulous espresso machine at a fraction of the price! In the very first week of filming, what special memories do you have of that time? The joy and satisfaction of working alongside other lovely bakers. Born and raised in Leicester, fervent climber Marc spent his youth travelling the world and conquering mountains, before settling back in the UK and becoming a landscape photographer. . Basically, it was like catching up with long lost friends. She loves citrus and strong flavours and enjoys putting a modern twist on old classics. Her husband, Peter, is (of course) the biggest fan of her cooking, and he especially loves her Jamaican patties. Over the last decade, The Great British Bake Off has faced a number of big changes, from multiple channel moves – in the words of rapper Drake: started from BBC Two, now we here (Channel 4) – to the introduction of completely new presenters and judges that followed. Linda discovered her passion for baking during her frequent childhood visits to her aunt’s dairy farm, just down the road from her own home. I just wanted to hold her when her soufflés didn’t rise in the final technical and she cried. News, photos, videos and full episode guide, Presenters and judges may come and go – but it’s the Bake Off format that’s the real star of the show, accidentally knock Dave’s tray of miniature cakes, What time is The Great British Bake Off on tonight? His opening Boris Johnson impression was both topical and spot-on, he cracked delightfully silly jokes throughout and reassured an upset Sura after the heart-stopping incident which saw her accidentally knock Dave’s tray of miniature cakes onto the floor. I can’t wait to break bread with Noel, Prue and Paul and meet the brilliant bakers. She loves citrus and strong flavours and enjoys putting a modern twist on old classics. As a baker one of my biggest strengths is that I’m not daunted by much. Where is The Great British Bake Off filmed? It was a long and uncertain path getting to the Tent. Why? Already have an account with us? When he isn’t baking, you can find Mark walking in the Lake District, indulging his passion for wildlife, or with his wife, travelling and exploring new places. Much-loved culinary competition The Great British Bake Off returned to our screens last week, with a new batch of contestants entering the COVID-compliant tent for series 11 – however it wasn’t just the bakers making their debut on the show. I was so excited and I am still in a little shock. They didn’t disappoint! The new series of The Great British Bake Off starts Tuesday 22nd September at 8pm on Channel 4, and airs on Netflix US from Friday 25th September. Looking forward to showing Paul and Prue my bakes and hearing those famous words: On your marks, get set… BAKE! My biggest weakness is the mess I create! On the other hand, my weakness lies in my inability to follow a recipe without having to put my own twist in – I struggle to think in a simplistic way. Weaknesses would be feeling overwhelmed when mess builds up and struggling with some baking jargon… and French words! The Great British Bake Off delivers biggest Channel 4 launch with almost 8 million viewers. His love of the Georgian era encourages him to reinvent 18th century recipes whenever he can. On joining Bake Off, Matt said: “I’m chuffed to bits to be joining the most delicious show on television. I thought she was amazing! It was so surreal walking into the tent for the first time. GBBO managed to finish filming despite the coronavirus pandemic by setting up a self-contained biosphere for six weeks, ensuring the show looks as normal as possible – don’t worry, there’ll be no shortage of soggy bottoms, burnt bakes and defrosted baked Alaskas. I felt grateful and privileged to be in the mighty tent with so many talented bakers and a bit starstruck meeting Prue, Paul, Noel and lovely Matt. Laura is happily married to a Police Community Support Officer and she loves musical theatre (as a performer and audience member) and is a volunteer for the Samaritans. The French influence in Benin has instilled in Hermine a love of high-end pâtisserie; she enjoys baking intricate millefeuille, éclairs and entremets. Mak’s strengths lie in pastry (he says he’s better at puff than shortcrust) and, for celebrations such as Eid, he enjoys making traditional Asian nankhatai biscuits. What were you most looking forward to before you entered the big white Tent? At last getting to meet all the people on the Bake Off team and the amazing support and friendship they gave me. The perfectionist in her wants things to look faultlessly pretty and gorgeously dainty. Maybe Selasi. He thinks baking has made him generally more patient, but woe betide anyone (even his wife) who tries to take control in his kitchen! Personal tragedy, including losing his leg in a motorbike accident in 2016, led him to baking bread as a form of therapy, and from there he came to baking cakes and pastries. Already have an account with us? I think I am quite a versatile baker and always up for a challenge. I kept pinching myself. To this day Linda buys homegrown produce from another aunt’s fruit farm and uses it in her baking. His style is hugely influenced by his Irish heritage, but also by the flavours of Africa and Asia, where he travels regularly for his work as a project manager for public health research programmes. Given Bake Off’s excellent track record of replacing beloved departing judges and hosts, we can’t wait to see how Matt adapts to the famous tent! I could not believe I made it in. With Sandi having left the show behind to pursue other opportunities, some fans might have been worried that Noel would jump ship as well – but the good news is that the comedian and all of his exuberant outfits are going absolutely nowhere! As a baker what would you say are your strengths….and what are your weaknesses? You can unsubscribe at any time. My strengths lie in flavour and balancing of flavours and also making small and dainty bakes, but my weakness is large multi tiered cakes. Born and raised in Jamaica, Loriea uses baking as a means to celebrate her Caribbean roots. The new puzzles website is now live - sign up now and enjoy a 7-day free trial! She loves to work with fragrant and floral flavours such as cardamom, rose and orange blossom. She is also a dab hand at sourdough – so much so that her nine-year-old son now refuses to eat any other bread! Find out whether equity release is for you with this guide written by Paul Lewis for our partner Age Partnership. However, these are not always to everyone’s taste. In the very first week of filming what special memories do you have of that time? baking something as a way of de-stressing, so I wasn’t sure how I would deal with that in the Tent! Hermine was born and raised in Benin, West Africa, and moved to London in 2001 to pursue further education. The comedian first got his breakthrough playing the score keeper George Dawes on Vic and Bob panel show Shooting Stars, and notable roles in his career have included playing Nardole alongside Peter Capaldi’s twelfth Doctor on Doctor Who, a range of film appearances and a hugely successful stint as Thénardier in Les Miserables on the West End. I saw him in Les Mis last year and he was incredible. Laura thrives working under pressure and thinks her organised nature is what particularly suits her to taking part in Bake Off. Although it was Bake Off that really made Paul a household name, he had made some other TV appearances beforehand on shows including The Heaven and Earth Show and This Morning, while since making his name as a judge he has appeared on a number of programmes including his own show Paul Hollywood’s Pies and Puds. She inspired a lot of my baking in my early 20s. Very pleased, it felt like a long build up and that there were many hurdles to overcome first. South Africa-born Prue has become a fixture on Bake Off since making her debut as a replacement for Mary Berry in 2017 following the programme’s move to Channel 4. Say hello to the Series 11 bakers: As a child, Dave rarely ventured into the kitchen, relying entirely on his mum’s cooking – he taught himself to bake only once he’d flown the nest. You can unsubscribe at any time. As a group we got really close really quickly because we were all living together and that made it feel extra special. Self-taught baker Makbul first took on cooking at home as a means to help support his mum. Your guide to the baking show, The Great British Bake Off 2020 line-up – Full list of contestants. When Loriea isn’t baking or working long shifts at the hospital as a radiographer, she likes practising the craft of macramé. This site uses cookies to offer you the best possible experience on our website. When she’s not baking or working, she can be found indulging her passions for travel, architecture and design. Aside from one slight blunder when she accidentally let slip the identity of the 2017 winner on Twitter before the final had aired, Prue has proved a more than competent replacement for Mary – and is now very much part of Bake Off royalty. This has been a very different Bake Off for the 2020 Bakers – how pleased were you to finally get into the Tent on that first morning? I’ve watched the show for so many years so it was a dream come true to finally be in the Tent. When he’s not baking, Dave can be found pursuing his other passions: cars, DIY and taking his dog and cat for walks. Then don’t miss out on the chance to get this fabulous espresso machine at a fraction of the price! Get the Cooks Professional Espresso Maker for just £39.99. My weakness is the ability to get a clean neat finish under time pressure. Marc decided to enter Bake Off in a bid to show his daughters that even when life throws obstacles at you, you can rise to new challenges and develop new passions. Meet the Great British Bake Off judges and presenters. Bake Off was not Prue’s first experience as a judge on a high-profile food show, having served as a judge on BBC Two show Great British Menu for eleven years prior to her Bake Off bow, and also appearing on Channel 4’s show My Kitchen Rules. When he’s not baking, he is either upholding the family’s love of numbers by studying Accounting and Finance at university, or demonstrating his competitive streak on the badminton court – he has been playing badminton for a decade and has represented his county in the sport since 2012.