The Bake Is Back - the countdown to Great British Bake Off 2026 starts here

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Trailer for the new series just dropped - no transmission date yet though.

Anyone else excited to see how Nigella gets on as the new judge? A worthy successor to Pru and Mary, I think.

I really hope Nigella takes Paul down a peg or two, he’s so smug with his bloody handshakes even though Mary, Prue and now Nigella were all better known and more successful.

Yes, it's the classic case of 'God grant me the confidence of the mediocre white man!'

That would be an airing date of 22nd September which is in the range of previous years but puts the final very close to Christmas.

Thanks for that and I quite like the thought of a Christmas Bake Off.

Actually not that close at all, my maths was out! It's quite often started late September and then finishes late November.

Your maths is clearly as good as mine! 😁

Oh interesting theory that makes total sense to wait until after sewing bee. It’s the same production company so doubt they want the competition. They usually announce 2 weeks before the date so can’t be any earlier assuming we’re sticking with Tuesday nights!

I can't stand Nigella so not sure if I will like the new series or not. Even in the ad for it she annoys me

Ahhh placemarking also! I can’t wait, I think Nigella will be a great asset to the show.

I blame Extra Slice for making the cringe making Hollywood Handshake such a big thing. As if Paul Hollywood's ego needed to get any bigger!
I hope Nigella puts him in his place.

Start confirmed as Tuesday 22nd September.

Just on Facebook at the moment.

And they've just released the bakers, but again, only on Facebook so far.

Clara, 26, Marketing Graduate
Connie, 63, NHS Hospital Discharge Lead
Danni, 25, HGV Service Centre Administrator
Gabe, 32, Artist and Drag King
Gary, 67, Retired Garment Technologist
Mo, 21, Law Student
Molly, 31, Accessibility Co-ordinator
Moyin, 22, Political Economy Student
Nikki, 50, Advertising Post-Producer
Shannon 29, Project Planner

Tom, 25, Hairdresser
Yannis, 28, Paediatric Doctor

Interesting - a LOT of 20 somethings, but also a few genuinely older contestants this year. So a real lack of those in the middle. Some grumbling on the post that it should be called the "Great English Bake Off" - no-one from Wales, Scotland or Ireland, and in fact no-one north of Yorkshire.

I don't like Nigella much. Her 'look at how sexy I am' act annoys me.

A real shame they’ve decided to axe an Extra Slice, I love Jo brand and Tom Allen so will miss this show a lot. I feel it’s the wrong decision to bring in Jon Richardson. Same with Prue leaving, it won’t be quite the same without her but I hope Nigella manages to fit in with the format of the show. Either way, I will watch it and am sure we will all get used to the changes.

It must have been embargoed, the list is starting to pop up all over the place now:

Great British Bake Off: 2026 meet the 12 bakers competing in season 17

And,,,Stuart Heritage's annual attempt to rank the bakers based on no information at all about their baking ability:

From a paediatric doctor to a podium dancer: meet the 2026 stars of The Great British Bake Off | Television | The Guardian

I find nigella smug , sorry ! But as long as she's better than Noel who makes me cringe he can't be like that in real life can he ? Love Alison she's funny and Paul is Paul . Found the showstoppers poor last year compared to previous years so hope this year will be better

I have liked Noel better since he has worked with Alison, I think they make a good team. But his "Kiss Mr Spoon" routine is a bit creepy.

I love Nigella for her writing, plus my kids have pretty much grown up at the same time as hers so I have great fondness for her family recipes in How To Eat and Domestic Goddess. She has a mince recipe where you chuck the vegetables in the food processor which we ate practically every week when mine were small. And - she has had a tough life for someone so well connected. I am just hoping she finds her way with Bake Off and makes it hers. Very excited to see how she gets on.

I hope it doesn't become the Nigella show.

I totally agree with you about the selection of the bakers.
This lot have clearly been selected for the Instagram generation.
We have the obligatory drag queen being shoehorned in - drag is a TINY minority of the population but we are expected to believe that for each of the last few years they have managed to be one of the twelve best amateur bakers in the country??
You can almost see the ‘talent producers’ running around with their tick box charts on their clipboard..
”Oh no, she’s a fantastic baker but she’s a middle aged woman… sorreeee but no!”

Its all on you, Nigella, you have to single-handedly save this season

Only 3 of them are over the age of 32? I find that very disappointing. And all English. Is it a lack of applicants?

@BestIsWest there were a lot of young ones last year too, perhaps the constant quest for younger TV viewers? But odd no-one between 32 and 50, I wonder if they had someone drop out?

@Ratherhaveacupofteaandabiscuit @opaltimer1 Hasn't it always been that way though? It was always 50% male/female and ethnically diverse. Glenn Cosby on Series 4 joked he wasn't really one of Britain's 12 best amateur bakers, he was "Best Gay Baker To Actually Apply This Year".

Probably never been a show for anyone who hates diversity casting.

And - a review two weeks before the series starts? Sounds great though.

Nigella Lawson brings a new lease of life to The Great British Bake Off

Another very positive review in the Times today, but behind a paywall.

Bake Off first look: Lashings of Nigella Lawson help everyone rise to occasion

This is quite odd - they have released the first episode, apparently just to the Times and Telegraph, two weeks before transmission date - and it is being reviewed as if it has already aired.

Which you'd think is potentially quite annoying for viewers, though I guess it has the effect of building anticipation. They are definitely trying to get their money's worth out of the Nigella effect.

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