Ready, steady, dough!
Oh, crumbs. It’s the thirteenth series of The Great British Bake Off. Marion Mcmullen looks at the new batch of hopefuls aiming to be showstoppers
THERE’S everyone from a supermarket cashier to a nuclear scientist out to prove that the thirteenth series of The Great British Bake Off will not be unlucky for them.
The new contestants want to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with their baking skills and follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner Giuseppe Dell’anno.
Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas are returning as the hosts and Giuseppe says: “Matt and Noel were the biggest surprise in the tent for me, for obvious reasons.
“The judges of course have to remain impartial, but Matt and Noel were so friendly and we hung out a lot together. They are charming gentlemen and they give showbusiness a really good name.”
So who are the dozen bakers launching the new series with the Cake Week challenges?
abdul
29, electronics engineer, London
Raised in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents, Abdul is a keen salsa dancer, and a self-confessed space nerd.
His interest in baking began when he and his graduate colleagues baked for each other to brighten up their daily coffee breaks.
He says: “My favourite author is Scottish baker James Morton, who came runner up in 2012.”
carole
59 supermarket cashier, dorset
Carole lives on a Dorset hillside with her husband, Michael.
A keen gardener, her segment on a local radio show is called Compost Carole. She brings the artistry that she uses in her garden to her baking, creating colourful and eclectic bakes that are inspired by her passion for horticulture.
Carole says: “My strengths are decorating the cake, especially using fondant.”
dawn
60, it Manager, Bedfordshire
The mother to three, step-mother to two, and gran/step-gran to four, loves the challenge of an illusion cake (the more impossible-sounding, the better), favouring whacky and intricate designs that allow her to express her creative talent. She says her favourite flavours are lemon, salted caramel and anything nutty.
James
25, nuclear scientist, cumbria
Proud kilt-wearer James grew up in the east-end of Glasgow and moved to England after university.
He is a self-proclaimed boardgame geek and loves horror films from the 70s and 80s.
He enjoys the technical side of baking, but is in his element when he makes his bakes his own, with his signature ‘child-friendly horror’ style and adorable decoration.
He says: “I was stunned when I walked into the tent for the first time, nothing felt like it was real.”
Janusz
34, personal assistant to head teacher, east sussex
Janusz grew up in Poland and moved to the UK 10 years ago.
He lives with his boyfriend Simon and their sausage dog Nigel, and his passions include internet culture, watching drag (he even bought Simon a statue of drag superstar Rupaul) and collecting movie props.
Janusz describes his baking style as “cartoon-like, colourful and camp”.’
Kevin
33, music teacher, Lanarkshire
Kevin is principally a saxophonist, but is accomplished at the flute, the piano and the clarinet.
He began baking when he was 17. His ethos in the kitchen is to use the best, seasonal ingredients.
Kevin says: “I can’t stand shortbread. Sacrilege, I know.”
Maisam
18, student & sales assistant, Greater Manchester Originally from Libya, Maisam has lived in the UK since she was
nine. She speaks five languages and aims to make that seven by the time she turns 20.
She has been baking since she was about 13 years old and says: “My proudest moment would be seeing my parents’ reaction.”
maxy
29, architectural assistant, london Swedish-born Maxy began baking five years ago, with the arrival of her first daughter, and uses her strong artistic skills to create beautifully decorated celebration cakes.
She says: “I shed a tear when I saw Prue walk into the tent.”
rebs
23, masters student, County antrim
Rebs loves everything to do with Irish culture and can Irish dance and play the tin whistle.
Her earliest baking memory is of being aged only three years old, helping her mum in the kitchen, and eating her granny’s renowned lemon meringue pies. She says: “I got a call to say I’d got a place a day after my graduation.”
sandro
30, nanny, london
Sandro is passionate about fitness and is a keen boxer and has a background in ballet and breakdance. He was 21 when his father passed away and he turned to baking as a form of therapy. Sandro says: “My weakness is being too ambitious.”
syabira
32, cardiovascular research associate, london
Malaysian-born Syabira is one of seven children. She is all for giving Malaysian flavour twists to British classics – chicken rendang Cornish pasties are a particular favourite.
Syabira says: “Throw me anything, I’ll make it work.”
will
45, former charity director, london
One of three children, Will grew up just outside Bristol, before leaving for university in Liverpool. Now he lives in London with his wife, three children and their cat, Tiggy.
His passion for baking began when he was two, when his mum would give him her pastry trimmings to turn into little jam tarts.
Will now likes a baking challenge and says: “I made an anatomically correct model of my heart out of biscuits.”
The Great British Bake Off starts Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4 & All 4