Great British Bake Off 2024: everything you need to know

If you love The Great British Bake Off as much as we do here at Yours, we've put together everything you need to know about the latest GBBO news, including who the judges, bakers and presenters are.

When is The Great British Bake Off 2024 on?

It's official, series 15 of The Great Bake Off 2024 has returned to our screens. You can watch it every Tuesday on Channel 4 at 8pm.

Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding are reprising their roles as presenters, whilst Paul and Prue are returning as judges.

When is the final of The Great British Bake Off 2024?

The final of the Great British Bake Off 2024 will be on Tuesday 26th November at 8pm on Channel 4. The Bake Off final usually sees three bakers battle it out to be crowned winner. The show takes the same format as previous episodes with each bakers tasked to make a Signature Bake, a surprise Technical Challenge and a stunning Showstopper Challenge. Previous themes for the final showstopper have been the ultimate celebration cake, a banquet for a Mad Hatter's Tea Party and an edible sculpture of our planet. Currently contenders for the final are Dylan, Georgie, Gill and Christiaan.

Episode 8- 1970s Week

This retro theme was a first for Bake Off and the Signature Challenge was to make a stack of profiteroles. The Technical Challenge was to make a classic Banoffee Pie and Georgie was delighted to come top.
The Showstopper Challenge was to create a Seventies style gateau complete with 1970s flavours and decorations. Illiyin’s gateau sadly collapsed in the fridge and cost her a place in the semi-finals as she was sent home, while Georgie was crowded Star Baker for a second time.

Episode 7- Dessert week

This week's Signature was to create eight meringue nests filled with a least two fillings of their choice. The technical was to make the classic steamed pudding Spotted Dick! Dylan had never made one and was quite confused as to why string had been provided. Despite this he managed to work it out and come top! The Showstopper was to make a the Italian classic dessert tiramisu. The judges stated it needed to include coffee, mascarpone and ladies fingers – but they could add any other fillings and flavours they liked.
Dylan was crowned Star Baker again and Sumayah was sadly sent packing.

Episode 6- Autumn Week

This weeks was all about the season of autumn. In the Signature the bakers were tasked with making a comforting autumnal pie. Some bakers opted for a classic American pumpkin pie, while other used blackberries, apples and nuts.
The Technical Challenge was to make the classic Yorkshire Bonfire Night treat, Parkin! Despite being from the north Gill had a disaster as she accidentally left the baking powder out of her recipe.
The Showstopper Challenge was to make a festive autumn celebration cake.
Sumayah was once again crowned Star Baker and Nelly said goodbye to the tent.

Episode 5- Pastry Week

The Signature Challenge was to make a frangipane tart, the Technical was to make a Spanakopita, a Greek pie made with filo pastry and filled with spinach and feta cheese.
The Showstopper was to make a Paris-Brest (a French dessert made by creating a circular tower of choux pastry filled with cream and topped with decorations).
Gill was surprised to be crowned Star Baker and it was Andy who left the tent.

Episode 4- Caramel Week

For the Signature Challenge, the bakers had to create 12 identical caramel biscuits. Georgie narrowly missed out on a Hollywood Handshake, with her 'Twix' style biscuits but three of her biscuits were broken, so Paul rather cruelly, retracted his hand! The Technical Challenge was to make a pear tarte tatin. For the Showstopper, the challenge was to make a caramel mousse with at least two types of caramel. Georgie was awarded Star Baker, and it was Mike who was eliminated.

Episode 3- Bread Week

This week's Signature Challenge was to make twelve identical savoury buns made with an enriched, yeast-based dough. Paul's Technical was demonstrate the plaiting of seven strands of dough to form a bread wreath. The bakers than had to do this on their own without any written instructions. The final Showstopper Challenge was to bake a cornucopia also called a 'horn of plenty', filled with at least two different types of bread.
Dylan was crowned Star Baker and John was sent home.

Episode 2- Biscuit Week

In the second episode the Signature Challenge was to bake twelve Viennese Whirls in a shape and flavour of their choice. Prue's Technical Challenge was to bake a batch of twelve mint cream biscuits. For the Showstopper Challenge, the bakers were asked to make a biscuit puppet theatre with edible biscuit puppets. This week saw bakers fall ill nad Jeff was forced to leave the tent due to illness and Illiyin fainted after making her Showstopper Challenge.
Hazel went home and Sumayah was crowned Star Baker and Jeff withdrew from the show due to illness.

Episode 1- Cake Week

In the first episode of this new series the bakers got to grips with all things sponge! For the Signature Challenge the bakers were tasked with making a flavoursome loaf cake. While a number of bakers struggled with timings, midwife Illiyin earned herself the first Paul Hollywood Handshake of the series, with her cinnamon roll style loaf cake.
There was another first in the Technical as the bakers were asked to make 6 mini battenberg cakes, without a recipe! Instead they were allowed 10 minutes to look a baked finished example. Nurse Georgie came top of the challenge with her perfectly baked battenbergs.
Next came the Showstopper, which was illusion cakes. The bakers had to make cakes out of sponge that could be mistaken for something else. Andy made a fantastic leather overnight bag that looked incredibly real, while student Sumayah made her pet duck in cake form. But it was John's pair of jeans that stole the show and won him the accolade of Star Baker.

Jeff missed both the Technical and Showstopper round due to illness and this meant that no one was sent home. However, Noel warned the bakers that it could mean that two people will be leaving next week!

The Great British Bake Off 2024 contestants

Hazel, 71, Kent, Former Nail Technician

The oldest of the group, Hazel has four children and ten grandchildren and has been married to her childhood sweetheart for over 50 years. She enjoys family gatherings and heading off to bingo.

She's a pro at making birthday cakes, including car cakes with real mechanical wheels and a handbag cake with 500 edible diamonds.

Jeff, 67, West Yorkshire, Former University Lecturer

Originally from the Bronx, New York, Jeff met his English wife whilst he was a sports coach for a summer camp, and she was hitchhiking her way across America. The pair moved to the UK in 1979 and have lived in Yorkshire since the late 80s.

He is competitive and enjoys swimming, going to the gym and taking long walks. As for baking, he learned the basics from his grandmother and Hungarian great-grandmother. Plus, as you might hope (and perhaps even expect), he makes a mean New York Cheesecake.

Gill, 53, Lancashire, Senior Category Manager

Gill's claim to fame is that when she was 21, she was the UK’s youngest-ever driving instructor. Her love of baking and data go hand-in-hand. She has used baking as a source of comfort and has put her skills to good use, raising money for Alzheimer’s charities in memory of her father who passed away.

Andy, 44, Essex, Car Mechanic

Andy first learned how to make the much-loved family staples from his mum, from a classic apple crumble to Bakewell tarts made using pastry offcuts (to make sure nothing went to waste). He enjoys travelling in his motor home with his wife Nickie, daughter Maisie and miniature schnauzer Arthur.

Sumayah 19, Lancashire, Dentistry Student

Dentistry student Sumayah is presently on her gap year. She has a keen eye for sewing and enjoys making her own clothes. She is also academic, having aced her science exams. A self-taught baker, she conducts plenty of research to find different techniques and concocts a fusion of flavours.

For her aunt's mehndi wedding, she produced a luxurious macaron tower that stood 1-metre tall and included 240 macarons in four different flavours and a cascade of flowers.

John, 37, West Midlands, Directorate Support Manager

37-year-old John has had many a job such as a hairdresser and an estate agent, before finding his passion working in the NHS, keeping schedules and theatre bookings running like clockwork. Whilst work is busy, he finds time to unwind by relaxing with his cavapoo, Stanley.

His nan taught him how to cook and they spent time making fairy cakes and pies, now he passes on these skills to his nephews. His favourite dish to make is a lemon tart.

Nelly, 44, Dorset, Palliative Care Assistant

Nelly grew up with her dad in Slovakia, then moved to Austria to study nursing. She has two sons and loves adding the flavours of Slovakian cuisine into her bakes, as well as spices representing her husband’s Pakistani heritage.

She's a huge true-crime fan and loves making jewellery too.

Georgie, 34, Carmarthenshire, Paediatric Nurse

Cooking with Nonna Rosa instilled Georgie's love of food, which is embedded in her Italian roots. She lives in a Welsh farmhouse with her husband, three children, ten chickens, two ducks, two dogs and a cat.

When pottering around the kitchen she likes to sing songs from musicals, especially The Phantom of the Opera.

Christiaan, 33, London, Menswear Designer

Born in Emmen, a small town in The Netherlands, close to the border with Germany, Christiaan moved to the UK seven years ago to work for a leading fashion brand after studying fashion in Amsterdam. His favourite music is pop, and when he's not whipping up bakes in the kitchen, he can be found walking around stately homes, modern art galleries or tending to his veggie patch.

Illiyin, 31, Norfolk, Birth Trauma Specialist Midwife

One of eight siblings, Illiyin quickly became the go-to birthday cake maker after helping her mum to bake. Taking inspiration from different parts of the world, her savoury bakes include Caribbean flavours, whilst her cakes include Middle Eastern ingredients, such as dried fruits, nuts, honey, rose and mint.

Dylan, 20, Buckinghamshire, Retail Assistant

A keen jet setter, Dylan recently took a gap year travelling through Southeast Asia, exploring the food and meeting new people at every stop. Growing up with an Indian mother and Japanese–Belgian father, he likes to combine sweet and spice in his baking.

Mike, 29, Wiltshire, Farm Manager

Shortlisted for Young Farmer of the Year at the 2024 National Arable and Grassland Awards, Mike works alongside his parents and sister as a fourth-generation farmer. He's an LGBTQ+ advocate and was an ambassador for the National Farmers Union in 2022.

He's currently growing flowers for his wedding to his partner Matt and is going to make their wedding cake too.

Who are The Great British Bake Off judges?

So far, it seems that Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood will be back for another series to judge the amateur bakers' creations.

Recently, Prue has announced that she will be stepping down from filming the Celebrity Bake Off (after the 2024 episodes), due to the back-to-back filming commitments it requires with the usual series.

The Great British Bake Off 2023

Here's a reminder of last year's series:

Who was the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2023?

The Great British Bake Off final was aired on Tuesday 28th November 2023 and after ten weeks of signature, technical and showstopper challenges, Matty Edgell was crowned the 2023 GBBO winner. Congratulations Matty!

The Great British Bake Off 2023

Back in 2022 it was confirmed that Alison Hammond would be joining Noel in the tent for the 2023 series Great British Bake Off, replacing Matt Lucas who announced he would be stepping down from the role in December 2022.

Alison revealed the news in a video on social media featuring a cake topped with miniature models of herself, Noel Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith, all made out of icing!

In the video Alison commented, “I’m just absolutely thrilled, I’m going to be meeting the bakers very soon, I’m joining the Great British Bake Off, I’m so very excited!”

The Great British Bake Off 2023 contestants

Cast your mind back to 2023. Here were the budding bakers hoping for a Hollywood handshake.

Nicky, 52

Her favourite bakes are pastries, but she also loves making breads, and fun birthday cakes for her niece and grandchildren. When she’s not baking, Nicky volunteers for a pet-therapy charity (along with her dog, Bracken) and loves to ski, which she has been doing since she was only three years old.

Saku, 50

At her family home in Sri Lanka, Saku didn’t have an oven until she was 18, so she turned to baking only when she moved with her husband to the UK, in 2003, and particularly when she became a mum – rustling up treats for her children’s lunchboxes by replicating the snacks she saw in the supermarket.

Matty, 28

The family’s designated baker, he always has a list of cake requests for upcoming celebrations. Matty describes his style as rustic but neat, and his flavour preferences as quite traditional – he particularly loves chocolate, citrus and nuts.

Cristy, 33

Life with four children means that, for Cristy, there always seems to be a birthday to bake for and an exciting party to plan. She describes her baking style as enchanted and pretty – bakes that conjure up a sense of childhood. Cakes are her speciality, and she draws flavour inspiration from her own Israeli heritage and from her husband’s Jamaican roots.

Amos, 43

Amos describes his bakes as a labour of love – his style is colourful and chic with keen attention to detail, and he loves exploring different flavour profiles. He compares his baking style to the converted church that he now lives in, calling both his style and home ‘traditional with a modern twist’.

Dan, 42

Dan’s interest in cooking began when he went travelling in South America in 2007. His particular loves are pies and puddings: before he and his wife bought their first home, they lived with his in-laws, during which time his mother-in-law taught him how to make perfect shortcrust pastry.

Tasha, 27

The best thing Tasha remembers about baking as a child was licking the sugar icing from the tops of the fairy cakes she, her mum and her grandma used to make. At secondary school, she made cakes for her friends and was soon encouraged by her Food Technology teacher to develop her skills as a hobby.

Rowan, 21

A student of English literature, when he’s not writing up a storm, Rowan is also a keen host, applying his creative eye to his cooking – he aims for clean lines and interesting decoration in his finished bakes.

Dana, 25

Dana’s passion for baking started at the age of 16 when she identified a gap in her family’s traditionally Indian culinary repertoire. As a self-professed untidy baker, Dana would avoid stepping on her mum’s toes in the kitchen by catching the bus to her dad’s house to indulge her need to experiment with her bakes.

Keith, 60

Apple pies and fairy cakes – which he learned to bake with his mum – form the baking backdrop to Keith’s childhood, along with his mum’s love for traditional dishes from her home in Malta. Since those formative years, Keith has never stopped baking.

Abbi, 27

She became enthralled by the Victorian era and especially the traditional bakes of the time – steamed puddings, fruit cakes and more. Now she takes her inspiration from her environment and the beautiful English countryside around her home.

Josh, 27

Josh is a chemist by trade and brings his scientist’s precision and keenness to experiment into the kitchen, taking careful notes on each part of the baking process and perfecting all his techniques for gorgeous results.

The Great British Bake Off 2022

We've loved watching season 13 of GBBO. The new series kicked off September 13, 2022 on Channel 4 at 9pm. Seeing all the bakers showcase their baking skills was a real treat as always and we did enjoy seeing some baking disasters and baking ideas to give us inspiration for our own bakes.

Bake Off judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood returned along with hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas (who replaced Sandi Toksvig back in 2020).

Who won the Great British Bake Off 2022?

In 2022 the brilliant Syabira was crowned the Bake Off champion, becoming the show's 13th winner. Malaysian born Syabira loves giving exotic twists to British classics – chicken rendang Cornish pasties are a particular favourite. She works as a Cardiovascular Research Associate and is from London.

From her daring and different flavours to her impressive technicals, Syabira stood out from the start, and it was lovely to see her be crowned the 2022 champion.

During the final, she impressed the judges with her seasonal summer picnic selection and a show stopping bake that was a celebration of the planet.

Meet the Great British Bake Off runners up 2022

Sandro, 30

Great with kids, nanny Sandro from London likes to infuse his bakes with flavours from his Angolan heritage – the spice of paprika paired with tangy cheese, and sweet bakes smothered in dulce de leche.

Abdul, 29

Abdul applies his precision thinking to the chemistry of baking and says Matcha is his favourite flavour. A self-confessed space nerd, his interest in baking began when he and his graduate colleagues baked for each other to brighten up their daily coffee breaks. He works as an electronics engineer and is from London.

Great British Bake Off contestants 2022

Alongside Syabira in the final was Abdul and Sandro.

The best baking essentials

Inspired by GBBO to get into the kitchen and bake some goodies? Or, do you have a friend who's a massive fan of the show and loves to bake? We've rounded up the baking essentials you need to bake along with the show this year - whether you love to bake cakes, tarts, or pies.

Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby and Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who enjoys cooking and spending time with her many pets.