Who is Yannis? Meet The Great British Bake Off 2026 contestant and paediatric doctor
The Great British Bake Off is back – and with 12 new contestants ready to show their skills, paediatric doctor Yannis is hoping he's got what it takes to win over the judges.
With Paul Hollywood and Nigella Lawson only looking for the very best, will Yannis's bakes be just what the doctor ordered? Or will they be sent packing faster than an ambulance on their way to A&E?
"Whoever watches it is not going to know who's going to win," noted host Alison Hammond in a chat with Radio Times and other press.
"Aside from the baking, there's just some amazingly extraordinary characters this year, who are quite amazing people, and that showed throughout the series," added co-host Noel Fielding.
Ahead of their debut in the tent, here's everything you need to know about the contestant, including their strengths and weaknesses in the kitchen.
Age: 28
Location: London
Job: Paediatric doctor
Yannis is a 28-year-old paediatric doctor from London who is challenging the stigma that Bangladeshi men don't belong in the kitchen.
His baking has been influenced by many food cultures, having been born in Vienna before moving to London at 11 years old. His first baking memory is making Bhapa pitha with his grandmother, while his school days introduced him to classic Austrian treats.
Outside of the kitchen, Yannis is a Bhangra dancer and his wedding shimmy has become legendary!
"There are some things in life which we dream of and feel it’s impossible to accomplish, going into the tent was one of those things for me," Yannis said of joining the Bake Off cast. "My mum would always say that if what you are dreaming of is possible to achieve on earth and others are doing it then why couldn’t it be you too?"
He added: "Those words from mum were echoing in my mind as I received that call that I was cast for this year’s series. Along with of course disbelief and thinking it was a prank call and then the sheer excitement which no words can accurately describe."
What is Yannis's secret baking "super power"?
After years of working in hospitals, Yannis finds that he is "strangely calm when everything is going wrong".
He added: "Split ganache? Fine. Collapsing cake? Fine. Actual medical emergency? Only with my brilliant team at work, of course."
Read more on The Great British Bake Off 2026 cast:
The Great British Bake Off returns on Tuesday 22 September at 8pm on Channel 4.
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Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
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