Autumn is here and the nights are drawing in, which can only mean one thing - it's time for The Great British Bake Off 2024!
With the series now heading into its 15th season, it is fair to say Bake Off is now a staple in our annual TV calendar. But, as each series brings a fresh batch of 12 amateur bakers heading into the famous tent, who will be getting a Hollywood handshake and who will join the long list of Great British Bake Off winners?
This year we have everyone from a farmer to a fashion designer on the team, so let's meet the contestants we will be spending our Tuesday evenings with for the foreseeable...
Andy - Car Mechanic from Essex
Family lies not only at the centre of Andy’s world but also of his baking and it was as a child, baking alongside his mum, that Andy first learned the much-loved family staples: apple crumble to follow a Sunday roast and Bakewell tarts made using pastry offcuts (to make sure nothing went to waste) among them.
Now, Andy bakes for his partner, Nickie, and hopes to inspire his daughter, Maisie, to follow in his baking footsteps – always with the aim of making his adored mum proud! When he’s not in the kitchen, Andy is incredibly active. He plays football, goes to the gym and loves a long walk with Nickie, Maisie and their miniature Schnauzer, Arthur, as well as exploring the far corners of the country in their motor home.
Christiaan - Menswear Designer from London
Born in the Netherlands, Christiaan studied fashion in Amsterdam before moving to the UK seven years ago for his career in fashion. His eye for detail has definitely inspired his baking, with every confection having a little creative flair. And when he's not baking, he loves soaking up the atmosphere in London galleries and museums, as well as nurturing his veg patch and partying in a kitchen disco at home to his favourite tunes.
Dylan - Retail Temp from Buckinghamshire
Dylan loves to travel and recently took a gap year traveling through Southeast Asia, exploring the food and meeting new people. When he's not baking, Dylan is an avid skateboarder and has always loved to paint. With an Indian mother and a Japanese-Belgian father, Dylan is super proud of his fusion roots which also influence his bakes and see him experimenting with sweet and spice in his recipes.
Georgie - Paediatric Nurse from Carmarthenshire
A self-proclaimed cannoli connoisseur, Georgie has her Italian roots and Nonna Rosa to thank for her love of baking. She's also a keen forager who takes inspiration from the food growing in the fields around her Welsh farmhouse which she shares with her husband and three children, 10 chickens, two ducks, two dogs, and a cat.
Gill, Senior Category Manager from Lancashire
Gill is convinced that her love of precision data and her creativity are the perfect blend for success in the kitchen. Not only can Gill not remember a time that she wasn't baking, but she has also used her love of baking to raise money for an Alzheimer's charity in memory of her dad. Her sticky toffee Christmas pudding is the highlight of her family Christmases, and she would describe her baking as traditional with a modern twist.
Hazel - Former Nail Technician from Kent
Hazel has been married to her childhood sweetheart for 51 years and the couple have four children and 10 grandchildren, which means she's never short of a family celebration to bake for. Ask Hazel to make a birthday cake and it will come complete with working parts as she's made several remote controlled car cakes complete with lights and wheels! When she's not baking, Hazel loves nothing than a bit of bingo.
Illiyin - Birth Trauma Specialist Midwife from Norfolk
Illiyin is the go-to person in her family if you need a birthday cake, and it's easy to see why when her bakes are all inspired by flavours from many different cuisines and she especially loves using Middle Eastern ingredients like honey, rose, mint, dried fruit and nuts. Not only is Illiyin a qualified midwife but she is also a published author and freelances to help women as they start their journey into parenthood.
Jeff - Former University Lecturer from West Yorkshire
Jeff might now live in West Yorkshire, but he was raised in the Bronx in New York before arriving in the UK in 1979 when he emigrated with his wife who he met while she was hitchhiking across the US. He learned about baking from his grandmother and Hungarian great-grandmother and it won't come as any surprise that he makes an amazing New York Cheesecake. Jeff is also a keen swimmer, loves going to the gym and enjoys long walks in the countryside.
John - Directorate Support Manager from the West Midlands
John works in the NHS where he keeps schedules and theatre bookings all running like clockwork. But before finding his dream job, John worked as a hairdresser and an estate agent, and these days he likes spending time relaxing at home with his cockapoo Stanley or passing his love of baking, which he got from his nan, on to his two young nephews. Some of his favourite bakes include fairy cakes, pies, and lemon tarts.
Mike - Farm Manager from Wiltshire
Mike works at his family farm with his sister and parents and was even shortlisted for Young Farmer of the Year at the 2024 National Arable and Grassland Awards, and was an ambassador for the National Farmers' Union in 2022. Amazingly he has also grown all the flowers for his upcoming wedding to his partner, Matt, and plans to make the wedding cake... but it isn't just the great outdoors that Mike thrives in - he also is a keen baker with a self-confessed homely style. Mike is a big fan of incorporating freshly-grown fruit and edible flowers into his creations and enjoys making big, hearty bakes using local ingredients.
Nelly - Palliative Care Assistant from Slovakia
Now based in Dorset where she is kept busy with her job in nighttime palliative care, Nelly was born in Slovakia before moving to Austria to study nursing. Her love for baking started when she was inspired to try her neighbour's gingerbread recipe – and since then she has become a self-taught baking addict. Nelly loves incorporating flavours not just from her Slovakian culture, but also from her husband's Pakistani heritage.
Sumayah - Dentistry Student from Lancashire
Sumayah is off to study dentistry at university next year, but instead of sitting back and relaxing in her gap year she decided to spend her time in the Bake Off tent trying to impress Paul and Prue! As well as baking, Sumayah is a keen sewer, and even makes her own clothes, but her best creation of all was a macaron tower that she made for her aunt's mehndi wedding celebration which stood at 1 meter tall and included 240 macarons in four different flavours, complete with a cascade of flowers.
The Great British Bake Off 2024 will begin on Channel 4 on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in its usual slot of 8 pm. You can catch up on past seasons at Channel4.com
