Streaming on Netflix for a U.S. audience comes three days after airing in the U.K., so if you just can’t wait to see who was sent home each week, head to X, where you can find the inside scoop. (I may have done that last year to find out who won ...) Otherwise, you can tune in on Fridays. The show, called “The Great British Bake Off” in England, offers 12 lucky bakers the chance to compete for a cake plate, a bouquet of flowers and a title (no cash) in front of famous hosts Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
Filming typically begins in April and runs 10 weeks, into the height of the English summer. It seems like every year, there is some baking challenge that involves chocolate or ice cream and hits on the hottest stretch of the year, resulting in some gooey messes. The big white tent where the baking and filming occur is set up in Welford Park in Berkshire, England, where it’s been since 2014 (except for two COVID years when it was filmed at a resort hotel). The park originally housed a monastery before Henry VIII called for its dissolution in 1536. He later used Welford Park as his hunting lodge before giving it to a courtier, Sir Thomas Parry, as a gift. You can visit Welford Park, but no, not the white tent.
Co-hosts and comedic relief providers Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond also provide emotional support for the contestants as they compete in three weekly challenges: the signature bake, a technical challenge and a show stopper. For the signature bake and the show stopper, contestants have the opportunity to practice perfecting recipes ahead of time, but the technical is just what it sounds like: a challenge. Contestants receive all necessary ingredients to create the perfect bake, chosen by Paul or Prue, but with increasingly sparse instructions.
Here’s an example of some of last season’s technical bakes: Custard Cremes, Devonshire Splits, Caramelised White Chocolate & Blackcurrant Cheesecakes, Dauphinoise Potato & Caramelised Onion Pithivier (say what?!), Orange & Ginger Treacle Puddings and a beautiful Tarte au Pomme. Did I mention these are amateurs?? I mean, I can make an apple pie, but not one like that!
Get to Know the Bakers
Family lies not only at the center of Andy’s world, but also of his baking. As a child, baking alongside his mom, 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, he 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 mom proud! When he’s not in the kitchen, Andy is incredibly active. He plays soccer, 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.
Born in Emmen, a small town in The Netherlands, close to the German border, Christiaan studied fashion in Amsterdam and then moved to the UK seven years ago, arriving in London to work for a leading fashion brand. He is passionate about visiting art galleries and stately homes. He loves nurturing his vegetable patch and dancing away in his kitchen to his favorite pop tunes! His eye for fashion and design is definitely something he brings to his bakes, which are meticulously detailed and beautiful, as well as his love of gardening — floral scents and citrus notes are among his favorite flavors. Bread is where he finds comfort — reminding him of the numeral-shaped bakes his mom would make for him and his siblings on their birthdays, corresponding to the age they attained.
Curiosity for culture runs through Dylan’s veins, and he loves to travel. He recently took a gap year traveling through Southeast Asia, enjoying the food and meeting new people at every stop. He is an avid skateboarder and has a fascination for the way that ’90s PCs and vintage cars were built. With influence from his artistic mother, he has always loved to paint and will paint Japanese-inspired characters and cartoons on his T-shirts. Super-proud of his fusion roots — his mother is Indian and his father is Japanese-Belgian — Dylan loves experimenting with sweet and spice in his baking. His presentation style is influenced by the beautiful Japanese bakes he tried on his travels and through following the work of French pâtisserie chefs on social media.
Georgie’s love of food, and particularly of baking, is firmly embedded in her Italian roots and in the days she spent cooking with her Nonna Rosa. Georgie is a nature-loving forager, who takes inspiration from the food growing in the fields and hedgerows around her, as well as the abundance in her garden and the discoveries she has made on her travels. She is a self-proclaimed cannoli connoisseur! Along with a husband and three children at home in their Welsh farmhouse, Georgie has ten chickens, two ducks, two dogs, and a cat. She has an impressive collection of crockery and tableware (to the point of obsession) and loves to sing in her kitchen — musicals, and especially The Phantom of the Opera, are a favorite.
Gill is convinced that her love of precision data and her inherent creativity are the perfect match for successful baking. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t bake — growing up, baking was very much a family activity. Since her father passed away in 2015, Gill has used baking as a source of comfort and has put her skills to good use, raising money for Alzheimer’s charities in his memory. Pies, cakes, and pastry, including her dad’s signature lemon meringue pie, were staples of her childhood, so her baking is very traditional in style, with a modern twist. Her sticky toffee Christmas pudding has been a hit at family celebrations for the past five years! Gill’s claim to fame? In 1993 she was the UK’s youngest ever driving instructor, aged 21.
Married to her childhood sweetheart for 51 years, Hazel has four children, one of whom still lives at home while the other three, and her ten grandchildren, all live close by. She loves nothing more than to gather everyone together for dinners and parties, and especially loves their get-togethers at Christmas. Ask Hazel to make you a birthday cake and it may well come with working parts — she has made several “car” cakes with remote-controlled wheels and working lights. Her granddaughter’s seventh birthday cake was a carousel with 500 edible diamonds that took Hazel two weeks to make! When she’s not baking or entertaining her family, Hazel will be exercising her competitive streak, playing bingo.
Born in London as one of eight siblings, Illiyin grew up in Norfolk in a busy household in which she helped her mom to bake, soon becoming the go-to family member for birthday cakes. Living in a community of myriad cultures and nationalities, Illiyin is inspired by the ingredients and flavors of many different cuisines. For example, she loves using Middle Eastern ingredients, such as dried fruits, nuts, honey, rose, and mint, in her cakes; while her savory bakes are typically inspired by the flavors of the Caribbean. A qualified birthing specialist and published author, Illiyin now freelances to help women as they embark on their parenthood journey. She lives with her sister and nieces, and her Spanish husband and their two young children.
Originally from the Bronx in New York, Jeff arrived in the UK in 1979, when he emigrated with his English girlfriend (now wife), whom he’d met while she was hitchhiking her way across America and he was a sports coach for a summer camp. They have lived in Yorkshire since 1987. A keen and competitive athlete, Jeff has now hung up his basketball shoes, but still loves swimming, going to the gym, and long countryside walks. He began baking in earnest when his children were little, having learned the basics from his grandmother and Hungarian great-grandmother when he was a child. As you might hope (and perhaps even expect), he makes a mean New York Cheesecake.
Born and bred in the West Midlands, John has been a hairdresser and an estate agent, but he found his calling working in the NHS, keeping schedules and OR bookings running like clockwork. His job keeps him busy, so after work his favorite pastime is to relax at home with his cavapoo, Stanley. Over weekends, you can find John and Stanley hitting the countryside for long walks. John learned to bake with his grandmother, making fairy cakes and pies, and now bakes to honor her memory and pass on the skills she taught him to his two young nephews. He loves classic bakes with a twist — using herbs and other flavorings to give his bakes something different. His favorite bake, though, is a classic lemon tart.
Shortlisted for Young Farmer of the Year at the 2024 National Arable and Grassland Awards, and considered a friend to all, Mike is a fourth-generation farmer, working on his family farm alongside his parents and sister. He is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community within farming and was an ambassador for the National Farmers Union in 2022. Amazingly, Mike is growing all the flowers for his upcoming wedding to partner Matt. Mike’s baking style is homely and wholesome. He likes making big, hearty bakes using high-quality local ingredients that can satisfy lots of people at parties and gatherings. He especially loves using seasonal fruits and edible flowers from his garden and farm — and is even making his own wedding cake.
Alongside her busy job in nighttime palliative care, Nelly is a devoted mom to two young boys, who, with her husband Farhan, are the biggest fans of her bakes. Nelly grew up with her dad in Slovakia, then moved to Austria to study nursing. Her dad loved to bake bread, but wasn’t keen on sweet baking, so it was only as an adult, after she had attempted a neighbor’s gingerbread recipe, that Nelly extended her skills. Completely self-taught, Nelly loves adding the flavors of Slovakian cuisine into her bakes, as well as spices representing her husband’s Pakistani heritage — apple and cinnamon are among her favorite ingredients. Nelly indulges her creative talents by making jewelry, and is a big fan of true crime.
Presently on her gap year, Sumayah is indulging her sweet tooth before going on to study dentistry. She lives in Lancashire with her parents and siblings and not only aced her science courses, but is incredibly creative, too — she is a keen sewer, making her own clothes, and has recently taken up photography. An entirely self-taught baker, Sumayah meticulously researches her creations, combining myriad techniques and recipes to create an eclectic and imaginative fusion of cultures and flavors. The project that confirmed her love for baking was a macaron tower she made for her aunt’s mehndi wedding celebration — the result stood over three feet tall, included 240 macarons in four different flavours, and a cascade of flowers.
The Great British Bake Off 2024: When and Where to Watch
The Great British Bake Off 2024: Meet the Hosts
The tent will welcome back bread emperor Paul Hollywood, as well as flavor whisperer Prue Leith. Comedian and actor Noel Fielding and TV presenter Alison Hammond join once again as co-hosts.
