Channel Four has confirmed that the Great British Bake Off 2022 will return as planned tonight (Tuesday 13 September). Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday September 8, the broadcaster made several changes to its programming schedule but the well-loved bakery competition will take place as usual at 8pm.
12 new nervous hopefuls will take to the kitchen for the first time to try and impress judges Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood. Comedians Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas are also set to add their flavour of fun to the mix.
At the end of the first 90-minute episode, one contestant will be crowned Star Baker while another will be sent home. We took a closer look at this year's diverse selection of amateur bakers which range from a music teacher to a nuclear scientist.
READ MORE: The Great British Bake Off 2022: Contestants announced as Scots music teacher leads line-up
Who are the Great British Bake Off 2022 contestants?
Rebs, 23, a Masters student from County Antrim
Rebs grew up in the Northern Irish countryside and can Irish dance and play the tin whistle. From the age of three she helped her mum bake in the kitchen and used to eat her nan's famous lemon meringue pies.
Baking has acted as a form of relief for her from the busy tech world. She has begun to play around with Middle Eastern ingredients as a nod to her Turkish boyfriend, Jack.
James, 25, a nuclear scientist from Cumbria
James grew up in the east end of Glasgow and moved to England after university. He loves board games, horror films from the 70s and 80s and is an avid music fan which is reflected in his baking style.
The proud kilt-wearer enjoys the technical side of baking but loves creating how own signature "child-friendly horror" baked goods with adorable decorations. Naturally, his favourite flavours are anything autumnal such as apples, caramel and mixed spices.
Janusz, 34, head teacher's personal assistant from East Sussex
Janusz moved to the UK from Poland ten years ago and now lives on the south east coast with his boyfriend, Simon, and their sausage dog, Nigel. He was inspired to bake by his mum and he kept the family tradition of baking on a Saturday when he moved away from home.
The Polish PA loves to mix Polish ingredients with classic British staples to make "cartoon-like, colourful and camp" creations. His favourite flavours are ginger and chocolate.
Syabira, 32, a cardiovascular research associate from London
Malaysian-born Syabira moved to the UK in 2013 to study for her PHD and now lives in London with her boyfriend, Bradley. She loves gaming and spends a lot of her evenings playing an online World-War-II simulation game.
The postdoctoral researcher only started her baking journey in 2017 which began with a red velvet cake that reminded her of treats shared with friends back home. She loves giving Malaysian flavours to British classics which includes chicken rendang cornish pasties.
Maxy, 29, an architectural assistant from London
Maxy was born in Sweden, studied fine art and achieved a Masters degree in Architecture. She is incredibly adept at DIY and has laid the floor, resurfaced the balcony and painted the walls of her flat.
Her first baking achievement was five years ago following the arrival of her first daughter and she uses her fine artistic merit to created beautifully decorated celebration cakes. Her Scandinavian influences can be seen in her choice of flavours such as cinnamon rolls and the sweet and delicate spice of cardamom and saffron buns.
Carole, 59, a supermarket cashier from Dorset
Carole lives on a Dorset hillside with her husband, Michael, but was born and bred in the West Country. She has a segment on a local radio show called 'Compost Carole' where she shares her gardening tips with listeners.
The cashier brings her horticulture artistry to baking which makes for colourful and eclectic bakes. Her favourite flavours are fruity and punchy.
Abdul, 29, an electronics engineer from London
Abdul was Raised in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents and now divides his time between London and Cambridge. He is a keen salsa dancer, space nerd and growing up, he had a history of pulling apart electronic devices.
He applies his precision thinking to bakery and took an interest in it after he and his colleagues use to bake for each other to liven up their coffee breaks. One of his many favourite flavours is Macha.
Will, 45, a former charity director from London
Will is from just outside Bristol but moved to Liverpool to study at university. He lives in London with his wife, three children and his cat called Tiggy. He has a background in architecture and loves DIY and carpentry.
From the tender age of two, his mum would give him pastry trimmings which he would turn into jam tarts beginning his love of baking. He is a particular fan of yeast and his favourite flavours are paprika and salted caramel.
Sandro, 30, a nanny from London
Sandro is from the South African country Angola but fled the Angolan war with his mum when he was two. He lives in London and is passionate about fitness with a background in boxing, ballet and breakdance.
His father passed away when he was 21 and he turned to baking as a form of therapy and runs virtual baking classes for children with autism. He infuses his bakes with paprika paired with tangy cheese and smothers his sweet bakes in sticky dulce de leche.
Maisam, 18, a sales assistant from Cornwall
Maisam is originally from Libya and moved to the UK when she was nine. She speaks English, Arabic, Amazigh, Spanish and Turkish and has a love for still-life photography.
She began baking when she was 13 and will try something multiple times until she gets it right. The tang of olives, the sweetness of dates and the nuttiness of sesame seeds she uses in her bakes are inspired by her Mediterranean heritage.
Dawn, 60, an IT manager from Bedfordshire
Dawn lives with her partner Trevor is a mother to three, step-mother to two and gran/step-gran to four. She prides herself on her steady hand and attention to detail loving the challenge of an "impossible sounding" cake.
She describes herself as an artist both in and out of the kitchen and loves whacky designs that allow her to express her creative side. Her favourite flavours are lemon, salted caramel and anything nutty.
Fans can keep up to date with all the latest Bake Off news and announcements for this season with our Bake On Bake Off newsletter.
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