Great British Bake Off 2026 cast confirmed as Nigella Lawson joins as new judge

The new series of Bake Off is upon us (Picture: Channel 4/Love Productions/PA Wire) The latest Great British Bake Off cast members have been confirmed as the show enters a new era. Following Dame Prue Leith’s exit in January, Nigella Lawson was confirmed as her replacement, joining old-timer Paul Hollywood in the tent to serve up compliments and critiques of the bakers’ creations. She’ll make her debut when series 17 launches on September 22, while Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding return to host and provide the laughs and innuendo. The fresh batch of bakers includes a drag king, a law student, a paediatric doctor, and a hairdresser, all hoping to impress with their culinary skills and ultimately indulge in the sweetness of victory. Age-wise, they range from their early 20s to late 60s and hail from all over the country. So, let’s meet the stars all vying for that Star Baker accolade and hoping their bakes are more crème de la crème and less cream of the flop. Clara, 24 Clara is hoping to bring a Portuguese flair to the Bake Off tent (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: Hertfordshire Occupation: marketing graduate Clara is a self-confessed ‘fantasy girly’ and animal lover, happiest when around her spaniel and her pygmy hedgehog. Originally from Portugal, the polyglot pocket rocket moved to the UK from Aveiro at 18 to study marketing. She picked up baking two years ago to unleash her creativity and now loves making Portuguese classics, like Tarte de Nata, for her British fiancé, Kieran, and his family, recipes for which we’re expecting her to bring to the Bake Off tent. Connie, 63 Connie is already known as ‘the Cake Lady’ (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: London Occupation: NHS hospital discharge lead Connie is known as ‘the Cake Lady’, which surely stands her in pretty good stead for a stint on Bake Off. She can’t remember life before baking, which she uses to relax after a busy day in her NHS job, where she’s worked for over 20 years. Her specialities include hearty carrot cakes packed with rum, wine, and cinnamon flavours, and she says you can ‘smell the cake before you see it’, which we’re sure her husband of 23 years, music teacher Myke, doesn’t complain about. Danni, 25 Danni loves foraging in the countryside for flavours and inspiration (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: Dorset Occupation: HGV service centre administrator Danni is a country bumpkin whose love for the outdoors inspires their bakes, as they forage for ingredients to enhance flavours, whether it be magnolia, chestnut, or dandelion, adding kicks of ube and red bean paste. Naturally curious and experimental, Danni always has a range of projects on the go, from anime doodling to soldering broken traces on the motherboard of their Commodore 64. Danni has even designed websites purely for fun, which is undoubtedly a visionary flair that’ll work to their advantage on Bake Off. Gabe, 32 Gabe performs as drag star Blü Persona (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: West Midlands Occupation: artist and drag king Gabe will feel right at home in the Bake Off tent, having started baking after watching the first series when they were 13. Declaring themselves the ‘daddy of Birmingham drag’ with a ‘gorgeous but very homemade’ baking style, Gabe designs costumes and is a keen crafter with a love for theatre and hosting dinner parties. Stay tuned to find out whether their drag persona, Blü Romantic, makes an appearance on the show… Gary, 67 Gary discovered his love for baking in later life (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: Nottinghamshire Occupation: retired garment technologist Gary is our oldest contestant at 67; he discovered his love of baking in later life when he bought a cookbook in a gift shop five years ago. Since then, he’s developed his own traditional yet original baking style and love for citrus flavours. When he’s not baking, he’s out walking his two Border Collies, Ollie and Alfie, or tending to the many animals he and his wife of over 30 years, Donna, have at their country farm. Molly, 31 Molly has been baking for over 25 years (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: London Occupation: accessibility coordinator Molly has been baking for 25 years, and it’s a hobby she turned to in 2020 during a difficult period with her health, as it helped her stay motivated and maintain connections with loved ones. In the years since, she’s taken her skills to a new level and loves traditional bakes with classic flavours. Molly works for a disability charity, reviewing accessibility in transport, and is a huge Formula 1 fan, clearing her diary for every race. Moyin, 22 Moyin’s bakes are often inspired by his Nigerian heritage (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: Essex Occupation: political economy student Moyin balances baking with his studies, athletics, and his part-time job. At age five, he started baking with his mum and had mastered the tricky art of macaronage by the time he was 14, suggesting he could prove tough competition for his fellow contestants. His bakes are often inspired by his Nigerian heritage, including grains of paradise and groundnuts; he regularly visits family in Nigeria, Canada, and the USA. Mo, 21 Mo, 21, is our youngest baker this series (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: West Midlands Occupation: law student Mo, 21, is our youngest 2026 baker, eager to make his family (and their three cats, Pablo, Simba, and Gucci) proud. Describing himself as a ‘chaotic and random’ character, he showed a passion for baking when he was just three, as he would pretend to cook with Play-Doh. He’s come a long way since those days and has gone from baking boxed cake mixes to graduating with precise, professional-looking bakes, often infusing Asian flavours with traditional British classics. Nikki, 50 Nikki loves mixing her passion for baking with her love for R&B tunes (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: London Occupation: advertising post-producer Nikki has always found baking to be a form of therapy and loves trying and testing desserts to the soundtrack of nostalgic R&B tunes. She is a former podium dancer at Basingstoke’s Ziggy’s Night Club in the 90s and still loves hitting the clubs, so we can probably expect her to bring the lively energy this season. Nikki also has a partner, Tom, of 22 years, and a 16-year-old daughter, Ava. Shannon, 29 Shannon was taught to bake by her nan (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: Gloucestershire Occupation: project planner and scheduler Shannon dreams of bringing ‘a little forest magic’ to the Bake Off tent. She lives in the countryside with her fiancé, their two Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Tyrone the tortoise, where she practises her ‘whimsical, quirky, rustic’ baking. Having been taught by her beloved nan, she has been a baker for as long as she can remember and often cooks with ingredients grown herself. Tom, 25 Tom loves testing bakes out on his colleagues (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: West Yorkshire Occupation: hairdresser Hairdresser Tom is no stranger to cutting and styling, but can he transfer his creative skills to baking? The self-proclaimed Northern Diva loves nothing more than creating baked goods that are witty, pretty and, most importantly, delicious, having honed his talents with his nan while his brother was off at football matches. His colleagues are willing taste testers, and he’s famous for his salted caramel brownies. Yannis, 28 Yannis is a doctor by day who wins over fellow staff with his cakes and pastries (Picture: Patch Dolan) From: London Occupation: paediatric doctor Yannis is driven to challenge the stigma that Bangladeshi men don’t belong in the kitchen, one pastry at a time. Working in a busy NICU, he knows the power of cake and has been known to win nurses over with whatever he brings. Born in Vienna, he moved to London aged 11, and says watching Bake Off even helped him learn to speak English, meaning the show is especially close to his heart. The Great British Bake Off series 17 airs on September 22 at 8pm on Channel 4. Deals of the Day Topman’s new-season collection has arrived and prices start at just £10 An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind Book Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes for less in Club Med's ski sale Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 Arrow MORE: MAFS UK star ‘struggling to accept reality’ after twin babies die at 9 days old Arrow MORE: Joe Lycett dubbed ‘traitor’ after release of new Channel 4 chat show Arrow MORE: Tom Hardy’s most cutthroat thriller leads best TV to binge this September TV Newsletter Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.