The hugely popular Great British Bake Off will return for a 14th series on Tuesday September 26th.
From 8pm on Channel 4, 12 amateur but passionate bakers will compete in a desperate bid to win Paul Hollywood’s praise and become the winner.
And the selection of contestants is likely to keep viewers entertained for weeks to come, as each of them comes from extremely different professional and social backgrounds.
The Great British Bake Off presenters have learned sign language as the show welcomes its first deaf contestant, while one man takes inspiration for his baked goods from the converted church where he lives and another creates his own three-tier, 12-layer one 21st birthday baked cake.
They also have a range of different professional skills including intelligence analyst, auditor, retired flight attendant and student.
Firstly, The Great British Bake Off presenters have been learning sign language as the show welcomes its first deaf contestant, Tasha (pictured).
Show stars: Deli and grocery manager Amos (left) will be taking part in the show this year, while English literature student Rowan (right) will also make an appearance
Competition: Great British Bake Off starts on Tuesday September 26th at 8pm on Channel 4. Twelve amateur but passionate bakers are desperately fighting for victory
Tasha, 27, Bristol
The Great British Bake Off presenters have learned sign language as the show welcomes its first deaf contestant.
Tasha, 27, is an entry representative from Bristol and will be taking part in the show with her BSL interpreter Daryl.
She said: “When I got the Zoom call to tell me I was one of the twelve, I cried.” Daryl also cried. We were a mess.’
To prepare for Tasha’s time on the show, Dame Prue Leigh, Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and his new co-host Alison Hammond have all learned basic sign language.
Dame Prue, 83, admitted she found it difficult to cope, admitting: “I’m not very good at sign language, but Paul is.”
Channel 4 producers were adamant that Tasha did not feel isolated by the way the show was run and the judges were trained in sign language to relay their criticisms.
Tasha continued: “When we lined up outside the tent to do our first walk-in show, we were all so nervous. It was a big moment when Noel introduced not only Alison but also Daryl as part of the cast. Seeing Daryl at the helm and feeling like he was part of the show was a very special moment. I couldn’t have done it without him.’
Candidate: Deli and food manager and film and theater lover. Amos is an amusement park lover from North London
Amos, 43, north London
Amos, a delicatessen and grocery manager as well as a film and theater lover, is an amusement park lover from North London.
He grew up in Nottingham with his mother and sister, and as a child was always amazed by his mother’s ability to whip up delicious baked goods in a heartbeat – making her both an inspiration and a role model for his own commitment to serious baking.
Amos describes his baked goods as a labor of love – his style is colorful and chic with great attention to detail and he loves exploring different flavor profiles.
He compares his baking style to the converted church he now lives in, calling both his style and his home “traditional with a modern twist.”
Big Baked Goods: “Go big or go home” is student Rowan’s motto and one he has always applied to his baked goods
Rowan, 21, West Yorkshire
“Go big or go home” is student Rowan’s motto and one he has always applied to his baked goods.
His earliest memories of baking are scones, pork pies, shortbread and traditional jam tarts, which he describes as a Nordic delicacy.
A student of English literature, when he’s not writing up a storm, Rowan is also an enthusiastic host who brings his creative eye to his cooking – he strives for clean lines and interesting decoration in his finished baked goods.
As well as his much-admired cocktail-making skills, Rowan brings out his grand, opulent side in his baked goods, delighting his university friends with his creations.
He baked his own 21st birthday cake – an extravagant three-tier, twelve-layer cake.
Family affair: Yorkshire-born Abbi is a vegetable grower and delivery driver who first learned to bake with her mother
Abbi, 27, Cumbria
Yorkshire-born Abbi is a vegetable grower and delivery driver who first learned to bake with her mother. She honed these skills in her teens when she became fascinated with the Victorian era and in particular the traditional baked goods of the period – steamed puddings, fruit cakes and more.
Now she draws inspiration from her surroundings and the beautiful English countryside surrounding her home.
As a lover of nature, she looks for seasonal ingredients – the bigger and stronger, the better – and uses her home-grown vegetables wisely.
Abbi’s baked goods aim to combine comfort and familiarity with a strong nod to nature and the feeling of creating something magical – baked goods with a touch of fairytale.
Keen: For Cristy, life with four children means there is always a birthday to bake and an exciting party to plan
Cristy, 33, east London
For Cristy, life with four children means there is always a birthday to bake and an exciting party to plan.
She describes her baking style as enchanting and pretty – baked goods that evoke a feeling of childhood.
Cakes are her specialty and she draws flavor inspiration from her own Israeli heritage and her husband’s Jamaican roots.
She is a master at decorating and enjoys making sure the results look perfect.
When she’s not organizing a party, she’s going on an outdoor adventure, letting off steam with her friends or solving a Rubik’s cube – all in less than four minutes!
International: Civil Engineering Resource Planner Dan’s interest in cooking began when he took a trip through South America in 2007
Dan, 42, Cheshire
Dan’s interest in cooking began when he took a trip through South America in 2007.
His particular preference is cake and pudding: before he and his wife bought their first house, they lived with his in-laws. During this time, his mother-in-law taught him how to bake perfect shortcrust pastry.
His passion for cakes later developed into a preference for patisserie
Perfectionist Dan loves baking challenges and often finds the most difficult baking process in one of his 300 cookbooks, trying everything he can to create a masterpiece.
When he’s not baking, he enjoys playing soccer with his two young sons, working out at the gym, and foraging for edible treats in the nature around his home.
Experienced: Database Administrator Dana’s passion for baking began at the age of 16 when she discovered a gap in her family’s traditional Indian culinary repertoire
Dana, 25, Essex
Database administrator Dana’s passion for baking began at the age of 16, when she discovered a gap in her family’s traditional Indian culinary repertoire.
A self-proclaimed messy baker, Dana used to avoid stepping on her mother’s toes in the kitchen by taking the bus to her father’s house to indulge her urge to experiment with her baked goods.
Now that she has her own kitchen, Dana has become the family’s cake baker for parties.
Her style is rustic and homey, but always a feast for the eyes.
She loves a semi-naked cake with clean lines, pretty piping and minimalist decoration; And while she likes to go easy on her flavors, Dana often adds a twist or two by adding familiar spices tied to her Indian heritage.
Smart Guy: Postdoc Josh is a chemist by profession and brings his scientist’s precision and experimental spirit into the kitchen
Josh, 27, Leicestershire
A chemist by profession, postdoctoral researcher Josh brings his scientist’s precision and experimentation to the kitchen, taking careful notes on every part of the baking process and perfecting all of his techniques to achieve great results.
He enjoys drawing inspiration from old baking books and reinventing classics to give them a modern twist, often by introducing alternative flavors and incorporating seasonal fruits and vegetables from his kitchen garden.
Josh has been playing rugby for his local team for over 15 years and bakes lots of treats once a month to reward his teammates after a hard training session.
He dreams of one day having his own bakery.
Sweet Treats: Auditor Keith has a fondness for apple pie and fairy cakes – which he learned to bake from his mother
Keith, 60, Hampshire
Keith, an accountant, had a fondness for apple pie and fairy cakes – he learned to bake from his mother.
The treats form the baking backdrop for Keith’s childhood, along with his mother’s love of traditional dishes from her native Malta.
Since those formative years, Keith has never stopped baking. Recently, however, he has turned back to the baking books of the early 1970s to try out recipes that were once beyond him.
He enjoys the challenge of tackling more complex baked goods and has gained confidence in working with bread.
His partner Sue has become accustomed to waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread.
They live just a few steps from the sea with their poodle Maisie.
Study: Physical education and science teacher Matty is the type of baker who watches online patisserie videos before bed
Matty, 28, Cambridgeshire
Physical education and science teacher Matty is the type of baker who watches online patisserie videos before bed.
No matter how well he succeeds, he strives to match the awe of the cake that first captivated him: a teddy bear cake that his late grandma baked him for his fourth birthday.
As the family’s designated baker, he always has a list of cake requests ready for upcoming celebrations.
He describes his style as rustic but neat and his taste preferences as quite traditional – he particularly loves chocolate, citrus fruits and nuts.
Once his days in the tent are over, his next – and even bigger – challenge will be baking his own wedding cake, a special order from his fiancée Lara.
Familiar: Retired cabin crew and volunteer Nicky describes her baking as “like a pair of comfy old slippers; small traditional baked goods that bring back fond memories
Nicky, 52, West Midlands
Retired cabin crew and volunteer Nicky describes her baking as “like a pair of comfy old slippers; small traditional baked goods that bring back fond memories.”
For Nicky herself, these are memories of her grandmother’s kitchen table, where she rolled out pastries and decorated cakes as a little girl – which she enjoyed back then as much as she enjoys baking now.
Her favorite baked goods are still pastries, but she also enjoys baking bread and making fun birthday cakes for her niece and grandchildren.
When she’s not baking, Nicky volunteers at an animal therapy charity with her dog Bracken and loves skiing, which she has done since she was three years old.
A tingling sensation on the tongue: Sri Lankan-born intelligence analyst Saku puts the traditional flavors of her heritage at the heart of her baked goods
Saku, 50, Herefordshire
Sri Lankan-born intelligence analyst Saku puts the traditional flavors of her heritage at the heart of her baked goods – particularly the curry spices, which she says make the best pie fillings, while generous sprinkles of cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg find their way into her sweeter baked goods.
Saku didn’t have an oven in her family home in Sri Lanka until she was 18, so it wasn’t until she moved to the UK with her husband in 2003 that she turned to baking – rustling up treats – especially when she became a mother for her children’s lunchboxes by imitating the snacks she saw at the grocery store.
As an autodidact, she is now skilled at using a whisk and enjoys using the home-grown ingredients from her pride and joy – her vegetable patch.