The Great British Bake Off is set to return to the nation’s screens on Tuesday 27 August, bringing with it 13 brand new contestants.

Joining Paul, Prue, Noel and Sandi in the tent this year are amateur bakers with a range of backgrounds, including a fashion designer, a vet and an identical-twin.

Here’s the line-up:

Alice, 28, London

Geography teacher Alice (pictured left) turned her hand to baking at the age of 15, while recovering from a back operation for scoliosis. Now, she uses cakes in her lessons, demonstrating things such as coastal erosion and volcanic activity.

Amelia, 24, Halifax

Fashion designer Amelia (pictured right) has been baking for 19 years, having watched her mother and grandmother creating beautiful cake decorations. She draws on her northern roots to inspire her baking and believes freshly farmed produce is essential for a satisfying bake.

Dan, 32, Rotherham

Dan (pictured left) got serious about baking when aged 21 in a bid to impress his then-girlfriend (now wife) with a themed birthday cake. He also made his own wedding cake and says his proudest bake was a towering croquembouche.

David, 36, London

Yorkshire-born David (pictured right) was inspired to start baking by his mother, who never gave him shop-bought bread. On a trip to Malawi, he learnt to build an oven out of an oil drum and invented a cake that could steam-cook over a village fire. He’s not into fancy, colourful icing and prefers robust flavours and good, solid bakes. 

Helena, 40, Leeds

Online project manager Helena (pictured left) started baking when she moved to Las Vegas as part of an exchange scheme. She likes to use American flavours in her bakes, such as pumpkin, pecans, maple and cinnamon, as well as incorporating her passion for Halloween.

Henry, 20, Durham

Henry (pictured right) was inspired to start baking when he became fascinated by the activity taking place in the Bake Off tent, which pitched up in his local park. He began experimenting with bakes to give to family, friends and teachers and now tests them out on his university housemates.

Jamie, 20, Surrey

Identical-twin Jamie (pictured left) was taught the basics of baking by his grandmother and parents and was inspired by Bake Off to try something more adventurous. He enjoys taking on technical bakes, such as croquembouche and croissants, and has a traditional approach to flavours.

Michael, 26, Stratford-upon-Avon

Michael (pictured right)’s mother encouraged him to learn to bake, passing down handwritten recipes from her grandparents. He is inspired by the flavours of his Indian heritage and says his strengths lie in cakes and pastry.

Michelle, 35, Wales

Print shop administrator Michelle (pictured left) bakes almost every other day, be it a loaf for breakfast or something sweet to share with her husband and teenage son for dessert. She enjoys using seasonal vegetables from her own vegetable patch and describes her bakes as precise and finessed, with emphasis on local produce.

Phil, 56, Essex

HGV-driver Phil (pictured right) started baking seriously six years ago. He now bakes four or five times a week making focaccia, granary bread and brioche, as well as pastry. He is passionate about motorbikes and always turns up for biking meetings with bakes. He has spent the past year perfecting his decoration and piping techniques.

Priya, 34, Leicester

Priya (pictured left) first started baking at an after-school baking club when she was at primary school, and then went on to be given a stand mixer as a wedding gift seven years ago, following which she went “baking bonkers”. She has recently started experimenting with vegan bakes and likes tropical, fruity flavours.

Rosie, 28, Somerset

Veterinary surgeon Rosie (pictured centre) has a love of patisserie, with a box of mixed pastries her go-to bake. Her baking is often inspired by her rural surroundings, from the orchards next door to the fresh eggs laid by her ducks and chickens.

Steph, 28, Chester

Shop assistant Steph (pictured right)’s love of sports and wellness inspires her baking, as she enjoys the challenge of making bakes healthier by adding fruits or vegetables, lowering the refined sugar content and prioritising more nutritional fats. Her signature bake is a sourdough loaf made using her starter called Sammy.

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