Autumn is here and the nights are drawing in, which can only mean one thing - The Great British Bake Off 2024 is here!
With the series now in 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.
Pastry week in week 5 got the better of Andy, who left the show after his showstopper collapsed and he burnt his technical.
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.
Dylan had a great week in Bread Week (week 3) and not only earned himself a Hollywood handshake for his savoury buns but was also awarded Star Baker.
Dessert week saw Dylan named star baker once again, while also getting a Hollywood handshake for his signature meringues and winning the Spotted Dick technical.
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.
Georgie won star baker in week four, which was caramel week after coming top in the technical when the team had to make caramel and pear tarts.
1970s week in week 8 also saw Georgie crowned Star Baker after she did well in the banoffee pie technical and wowed the judges with her 70s-inspired gateaux.
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.
Pastry week in week 5 was a huge success for Gill, who made an amazing Paris-Brest dessert which both the judges claimed was full of flavor and one of the best things they'd had on the series so far - leaving her to be crowned Star Baker.
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 more than a bit of bingo.
Sadly Hazel left in Biscuit Week (week 2) after a disastrous signature challenge where her Coffee Viennese Whirls refused to rise.
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.
Illiyin got the first Hollywood handshake of the series in week one when Paul loved her Cinnamon Roll Loaf Cake in the signature challenge.
Sadly week 8 which was 1970s week wasn't Illiyin's week after her gateaux collapsed in the fridge and she became the latest person to leave the competition.
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.
Sadly Jeff fell unwell in the first episode of the series, and despite returning for week two, he still wasn't feeling right and was forced to bow out of the show. Speaking of his departure Jeff said: "This time around just wasn't right for me. I really enjoyed it, everyone has been wonderful, you've got a great group of bakers in there. Alright, I didn't make it very far but there you go."
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.
John was named Star Baker in episode one after doing well in the technical and then impressing the judges with his 'The Perfect Brunch' Illusion Cake in the showstopper.
Despite a strong start to his Bake Off journey, John was sadly voted off in week three. Bread week is notoriously tricky on Bake Off thanks to the king of bread, Mr Paul Hollywood, being one of the judges and unfortunately John left after his showstopper failed to impress the judges.
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.
Despite him being the funniest contestant this year, Mike left the show in week 4 which was caramel week. Poor Mike had trouble in the showstopper and was chosen to leave after his caramel mousse cake failed to impress Paul and Prue.
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.
Nelly went out in week 6. Actually exiting, she revealed that her best moment in the Tent was, erm, leaving! "The best was me leaving as I was ready to go to see my family and they were ready for me to come home. I was so happy that I went and Dylan stayed…. I couldn't wish for a better ending!"
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.
Sumayah was awarded Star Baker in episode 2 after impressing the judges with her biscuit puppet theatre. And she again picked up the Star Baker prize in week 6.
Sumayah left in Dessert Week (week 7) after her Spotted Dick didn't cook properly and her flavours failed to impress Paul and Prue in the tiramisu showstopper. Sumayah said: “I feel like it wasn’t one specific event that let me down, it was just kind of a series of mistakes here and there. I have learned to be more confident in myself and my ideas. You learn a lot from everyone and I feel I am going to take a piece of everyone away with me.”
The Great British Bake Off 2024 began on Channel 4 on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in its usual slot of 8 pm. You can catch up on past episodes and seasons at Channel4.com
