Last year’s competition saw Guiseppe Dell’Anno crowned the series winner, having beaten Chigs and Crystelle in the final. With Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding once again returning as hilarious hosts, meet the twelve new bakers hoping to be crowned Britain's best baker:

Abdul

29, Electronics Engineer, London

Favourite flavours: Matcha

The middle of three children, Abdul was raised in Saudi Arabia by his Pakistani parents. As a youngster he was always getting in trouble for pulling apart electronic devices around the house, which sparked his interest in electronic engineering. He now splits his time between London and Cambridge. Outside of work, Adbul is a flame-footed salsa dancer and a self-confessed space nerd. Let’s hope his bakes are out of this world…

Carole

59, Supermarket Cashier, Dorset

Favourite flavours: Fruity and punchy

West Country born and bred, Carole lives on a Dorset hillside with her husband, Michael. Green-fingered Carole hosts a segment on a local radio show called ‘Compost Carole’, during which she shares her gardening know-how with listeners. Her eclectic bakes are inspired by her passion for horticulture, and Carole will be sure to bring the artistry that she uses in her garden to her baking. Now that's flour power.

Dawn

60, IT Manager, Bedfordshire

Favourite flavours: Lemon, salted and anything nutty

Dawn describes herself as an artist in and out of the kitchen and loves the idea of an illusion cake, the more impossible sounding the better. An unabashed whisk-taker in the kitchen, she favours whacky and intricate designs that allow her to express her creative flair. Dawn’s steady hand and attention to detail will likely result in some astonishing patterns, expect lace biscuit delights.

James

25, Nuclear Scientist, Cumbria

Favourite flavours: Autumnal - mixed spice, apples and caramel

Having grown up in the east end of Glasgow, proud kilt-wearer James moved to England after university. He’s a self-confessed board game geek and an avid music fan, which he reflects in his baking style. But it’s his love for horror films from the 70s and 80s that inspires his signature baking style: ‘child-friendly horror’ with adorable decoration.

Janusz

34, Personal Assistant to Head Teacher, East Sussex

Favourite flavours: Ginger and chocolate

Having grown up in Poland, Janusz moved to the UK 10 years ago and now lives on the southeast coast with his boyfriend, Simon, and their sausage dog, Nigel. A pop-culture lover, Janusz loves collecting movie props and watching drag, he even bought his boyfriend a statue of RuPaul. His love of baking stems from his mother, who always baked on a Saturday, a tradition Janusz continued when he moved away for university. He describes his baking style as ‘cartoon-like, colourful and camp’, and loves working Polish ingredients into British staples.

Kevin

33, Music Teacher, Lanarkshire

Favourite flavours: Interesting combinations of fruits, herbs, nuts and spices

Music teacher and performer Kevin is an extremely skilled saxophonist, but can also turn his hand to the flute, piano and clarinet too. At 17, he began baking with an ethos to use the best seasonal ingredients and spent a lot of time refining his technique.

Maisam

18, Student & Sales Assistant, Greater Manchester

Favourite flavours: Mediterranean flavours – the tang of olives, the sweetness of dates and the nuttiness of sesame seeds.

Originally from Libya, Maisam has lived in the UK since she was nine. Forget bilingual, Maisam is five-lingual! She speaks English, Arabic, Amazigh, Spanish and Turkish, and she’s not stopping there – she hopes to reach seven languages by the time she turns 20. The youngest in this year’s competition, Maisam has been baking since she was about 13, and she loves the science required to get those bakes just right.

Maxy

29, Architectural Assistant, London

Favourite flavours: Scandinavian – the sweet and delicate spice of cardamon, saffron buns and cinnamon rolls.

Swedish-born Maxy studied fine art and gained a master’s degree in architecture, pausing her final qualifications to raise her two daughters, Tyra and Talia. She started baking with the arrival of her first daughter five years ago, and uses her strong artistic skills to create beautifully decorated celebration cakes.

Rebs

23, Masters Student, County Antrim

Favourite flavours: Middle Eastern

Having grown up in the countryside of Northern Ireland, Rebs loves everything to do with Irish culture – she can Irish dance and play the tin whistle. Her first baking memory is as a wee three-year-old helping her mum in the kitchen, and devouring her granny’s renowned lemon meringue pies. Recently, Rebs has returned to baking as a way to unwind from the stress of her busy life in the world of tech.

Sandro

30, Nanny, London

Favourite flavours: Angolan infusion – the spice of paprika paired with tangy cheese, and sweet bakes smothered in sticky dulce de leche.

Sandro was born in Angola but settled in London after fleeing the Angolan war with his mother when he was two. Passionate about fitness, he’s a feisty boxer with a background in ballet and breakdance too. After the sad death of his father when Sandro was 21, he turned to baking as a form of therapy. Now, he is baking obsessed, and is often found rustling up bakes with the telly on, or running virtual baking classes for children with autism.

Syabira

32, Cardiovascular Research Associate, London

Favourite flavours: Malaysian flavour twists to British classics – chicken redang cornish pasties are a particular favourite.

One of seven children, Malaysian-born Syabira moved to the UK in 2013 for her PhD and is now happily settled in London with her boyfriend, Bradley. An avid-gamer, Syabira often spends her evenings playing an online World-War-II simulation game, which has taught her a lot about leadership in the real world. Her baking journey began relatively recently, in 2017, with a red velvet cake that reminded her of the treats she shared with her friends back home.

Will

45, Former Charity Director, London

Favourite flavours: Salted caramel and paprika (but not at the same time).

Will grew up just outside Bristol, before moving to Liverpool for university. Now he lives in London with his wife, three children and a cat called Tiggy. When not hanging out with his kids, he likes to indulge in his architectural background with a bit of carpentry and DIY as well as cooking up exciting new dishes. Intrigued by the technical side of baking, Will is a particular fan of using yeast – and not just in bread - when you yeast expect it!

The Great British Bake Off starts Tuesday 13th September on Channel 4 and All 4.