This year’s group of baking fanatics include a veterinary surgeon, fashion designer and HGV driver.

Priya, 34

Priya first discovered her love for baking when she joined an after-school baking club at her primary school.

The marketing consultant from Leicester was over the moon when she was given a mixer as a wedding gift and hasn’t looked back since.

Recently, she has been experimenting with vegan baking and is also writing her first novel.

Michelle, 35

Michelle works as a print shop administrator in Tenby, Wales, and bakes almost every other day.

Her full-on baking schedule means there is always fresh bread for breakfast and sweet treats for dessert in her house.

David, 36

Originally from Yorkshire, London-based David saw his mum bake all the time as a child, meaning that the family never ate a shop-bought loaf at home.

His travels to Malawi ignited his passion for baking further and it is where he learnt to build an oven out of an oil drum and create a cake that could steam cook over a fire.

Steph, 28

Chester-based shop assistant Steph uses her passion for sports and wellness as an inspiration for her bakes.

She loves the challenge of adding fruit and vegetables to her bakes to make them healthier.

Dan, 32

Dan has fond memories of his mum teaching him to bake a Victoria sponge as a child, but it was aged 21 that the Yorkshire-born support worker became serious about baking.

In a bid to impress his then girlfriend – and now wife – Dan baked a themed birthday cake and years later went on to create their wedding cake.

Phil, 56

Essex-based motorbike enthusiast Phil is a HGV driver who first started baking bread in his home economics class at school.

He now bakes four or five times a week, frequently making focaccia, granary bread and brioche.

Alice, 28

Geography teacher Alice turned to baking when she was left unable to do sports following a back operation for scoliosis aged 15.

During her 20's, Alice attended art school in New Zealand and perfected the fruit pavlova during her time there. 

Now living in East London, she uses cakes in her lessons to demonstrate things from volcanic activity to costal erosion.

Helena, 40

Online project manager Helena was born in North Africa, grew up in Lanzarote and studied in mainland Spain before settling in Leeds. 

Much of her childhood was spent watching her Spanish grandmother cook and bake, yet she only started taking baking seriously after spending time with a family in Las Vegas.

Michael, 26

Michael is a theatre manager and fitness instructor from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Although he was born in Newcastle, he moved to the aptly named Scone, a village in Scotland, at the age of seven before going on to study in Edinburgh.

When it comes to baking, he is inspired by the flavours of his Indian heritage.

Amelia, 24

Sportswear designer Amelia honed her baking skills during her university years.

One of her proudest bakes was a snow leopard cake she created for her nephew’s fifth birthday.

Jamie, 20

Jamie, a part-time waiter from Surrey, was raised with an identical twin brother.

He learnt the baking basics from his family, but it was an old Bake Off episode that inspired him to make a plaited loaf.

Since then Jamie enjoys taking on technically difficult bakes from croquembouche to croissants, each time pushing himself further in the kitchen.     

Henry, 20

Durham University student Henry’s love of baking began at the age of 12 when the Bake Off tent pitched up in his local park.

He now tests out his bakes on his university housemates while studying English Literature.

Rosie, 28

Veterinary surgeon Rosie’s passion for baking began when she received a children’s baking book at five-years-old.

When she’s not helping drunken hedgehogs or performing spleen surgery on dogs, Rosie likes to bake at night as a way to unwind and keep the practice nurses happy.   

     

The new series of The Great British Bake Off stars with Cake Week and airs on Tuesday 27th August at 8pm on Channel 4.