The Great British Bake Off 2026 line-up: Meet the bakers

The Great British Bake Off is back for a brand new season on Channel 4, as a fresh batch of bakers compete to be crowned the winner.

Tonight (22 September), 12 amateur bakers head into the tent and are faced with a signature, technical and showstopper challenge and this time, Nigella Lawson joins Paul Hollywood as judge following Prue Leith's exit.

The fresh batch of bakers take on Nigella's stout cake for the signature, followed by an artistic technical and a self-portrait showstopper.

This year's line-up spans students, an NHS discharge lead, a paediatric doctor, a hairdresser and a drag king, with baking styles ranging from foraged and experimental to precise and traditional.

So, let's get to know more about them! Read on to find out more about the cast of The Great British Bake Off 2026.

Below is a list of the contestants confirmed to be taking part in The Great British Bake Off 2026.

• Clara
• Connie
• Danni
• Gabe
• Gary
• Molly
• Moyin
• Mo
• Nikki
• Shannon
• Tom
• Yannis

Read on to learn more about the contestants taking part.

Clara

Age: 24

Job: Marketing graduate

Location: Hertfordshire

Originally from Aveiro in Portugal, Clara moved to the UK at 18 to study marketing and describes herself as a passionate Portuguese polyglot with plenty of energy. She believes "the first bite of a bake is always with the eyes", favouring colourful, chaotically beautiful designs balanced with fresh, fruity flavours.

She began baking cakes two years ago as a creative outlet, later recreating Portuguese classics such as tarte de nata for her British fiancé Kieran and his family. A self-confessed "fantasy girly", she is happiest surrounded by animals, including her spaniel Gigi and pygmy hedgehog Pecan.

Connie

Age: 63

Job: NHS hospital discharge lead

Location: London

Known as "the Cake Lady", Connie has baked for as long as she can remember and treats it as her way to unwind after more than 20 years working for the NHS. She is best known for hearty carrot cakes, with rum fruit, while lemon and lavender are among her favourite flavours, and she keeps a jar of fruit permanently soaking in rum, wine and cinnamon.

A passionate fan of black-and-white films and thriller audiobooks, she has been married to musician and music teacher Myke for 23 years, and together they run a music centre in London where she tries out new recipes on the students.

Danni

Age: 25

Job: HGV service centre administrator

Location: Dorset

Naturally curious and experimental, Danni loves exploring the countryside and foraging for ingredients, often combining finds such as magnolia, chestnut and dandelion with far-flung flavours like ube and red bean paste. They live in Dorset with their parents, sister and three cocker spaniels, and work alongside their dad at an HGV service centre.

A committed tech enthusiast, Danni draws bake decorations from video games and animation, has designed websites and visual novel games for fun, and once brought an old VCR back to life.

Gabe

Age: 32

Job: Artist and drag king

Location: West Midlands

The self-styled "daddy of Birmingham drag", Gabe discovered baking after watching the very first season of Bake Off aged 13. Their style is "gorgeous but very homemade", with a preference for savoury, meat-filled bakes and an obsession with meringue.

Raised in Grimsby, they now live in the West Midlands with partners Ellis and Tyler and two sausage dogs, Dill and Sage. An all-round creative, Gabe produces theatre shows, performs as drag persona Blu Romantic, designs costumes and is a keen gardener and dinner party host.

Gary

Age: 67

Job: Retired garment technologist

Location: Nottinghamshire

A methodical and precise baker who found his love of baking later in life, Gary bought his first cookbook in a gift shop five years ago and has developed a traditional yet creative style focused on impeccable presentation and bold citrus flavours.

Born and bred in Chesterfield, he now lives on a Nottinghamshire smallholding with his wife of more than 30 years, Donna, surrounded by sheep, horses, chickens, pygmy goats and Shetland ponies. Having beaten prostate cancer, he raises awareness and funds for cancer charities, and is often out walking his Border Collies, Ollie and Alfie.

Molly

Age: 31

Job: Accessibility coordinator

Location: London

Caring and determined, Molly started baking over 25 years ago, inspired by her grandmother, and favours traditional bakes with classic flavours such as hazelnut, fresh fruit and mint. During a difficult period with her health in 2020, she turned to baking to stay motivated and connected to friends and family.

She lives in London with her husband Ash and their sausage dog Lando, works for a disability charity reviewing transport accessibility, and is a musical theatre fanatic and devoted Formula 1 fan.

Moyin

Age: 22

Job: Political economy student

Location: Essex

A high achiever who balances his studies with athletics, baking and a part-time job, Moyin started baking with his mum aged five and had mastered macaronage by 14. His bakes are fun and precise, with flavours inspired by his Nigerian heritage, including grains of paradise and groundnuts.

A competitive sprinter, he was crowned U20 County Champion in the 100m. He lives with his mum, sister and grandmother, regularly visits family in Nigeria, Canada and the USA, and loves fashion, collecting vinyl and comedy clubs.

Mo

Age: 21

Job: Law student

Location: West Midlands

A self-confessed "chaotic and random" character determined to make his family proud, Mo lives in the West Midlands with his family and their three cats, Pablo, Simba and Gucci.

He is studying law with ambitions of becoming a solicitor, and his love of baking started aged three, pretending to cook with Play-Doh, before he graduated from boxed cake mixes to precise, professional-looking bakes that often infuse Asian flavours with British classics. Away from the tent he can usually be found in the gym.

Nikki

Age: 50

Job: Advertising post-producer

Location: London

A colourful character with a colourful baking style, Nikki started baking with her mum aged seven and has always found it therapeutic. Her kitchen soundtrack shifts between nostalgic R&B and classical music depending on the bake. She has been with her "soul mate" Tom for 22 years and they have a 16-year-old daughter, Ava.

A former podium dancer at Basingstoke's Ziggy's nightclub in the '90s, she still loves the dance floor, and recently completed a 100-mile walk to raise money for breast cancer.

Shannon

Age: 29

Job: Project planner and scheduler

Location: Gloucestershire

A fun-loving, nature-loving foodie, Shannon dreams of bringing "a little forest magic" to the Bake Off tent. Growing up in Bristol, she now lives in the countryside with her fiancé Scott, two black Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Tyrone the tortoise.

Taught by her Nan, she describes her style as whimsical, quirky and rustic, and her day job keeps her organised and focused on timings, though she once rode a horse through a drive-thru, so there is still room for chaos.

Tom

Age: 25

Job: Hairdresser

Location: West Yorkshire

A self-proclaimed Northern Diva, Tom loves creating bakes that are witty, pretty and, above all, delicious. While his older brother was off at football matches, six-year-old Tom would escape to his Nan's to bake, mastering the perfect brandy snap before he was 10.

He now works in a busy salon, where his colleagues are enthusiastic taste-testers of his famous salted caramel brownies. Outside baking, he loves travelling, recently spending seven months exploring Southeast Asia with his boyfriend Alex.

Yannis

Age: 28

Job: Paediatric doctor

Location: London

Yannis is challenging the stigma that Bangladeshi men don't belong in the kitchen, one pastry at a time. Working in a busy neonatal intensive care unit, he loves how a cake can bring joy to the ward. Born in Vienna before moving to London aged 11, his baking draws on many food cultures, from Bhapa Pitha made with his grandmother to classic Austrian treats.

Watching Bake Off helped him learn English, making the show especially close to his heart. He is also a Bhangra dancer whose wedding shimmy has become legendary.

The Great British Bake Off returns on Tuesday 22 September at 8pm on Channel 4.

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