How to watch The Great British Bake Off

Bake Off 2022 saw Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith returning as judges, with Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding serving as co-hosts. However, Matt Lucas recently announced that he would be leaving the show following the conclusion of GBBO 2022.

Bake Off stars come from a wide array of backgrounds, and this year’s batch was no exception. Here’s a quick peek at the 12 bakers:

• Abdul, 29, electronics engineer from London — Raised in Saudi Arabia, Abdul has a penchant for salsa dancing, space, and spices. His technical thinking precision also serves him well in the chemistry of baking, and matcha is among his favorite flavors.

• Carole, 59, supermarket cashier from Dorset — Horticulture enthusiast Carole hosts the segment “Compost Carole” on a local radio show, and her passion for gardening is reflected in her vibrant British bakes. Favorite flavors: Fruity and punchy.

• Dawn, 60, IT manager from Bedfordshire — A grandmother/step-gran to four, Dawn is a creative at heart who prides herself on meticulous attention to detail with intricate bakes. Her favorite flavors are lemon, salted caramel, and anything nutty.

• James, 25, nuclear scientist from Cumbria — “Horror” and “baking” might seem like a strange mix, but James makes it work with his trademark “child-friendly horror” style. Favorite flavors: Anything autumnal (think mixed spice and apples).

• Janusz, 34, personal assistant to head teacher — Originally from Poland, Janusz loves incorporating Polish ingredients into British cuisine and has a “cartoon-like” and “camp” baking style. Favorite flavors: Ginger and chocolate.

• Kevin, 33, music teacher from Lanarkshire — Kevin first began baking at the age of 17. His kitchen ethos: Use top-quality seasonal ingredients and focus on technique refinement. He adores using fruits, herbs, nuts, and spices in interesting combinations.

• Maisam, 18, student and sales assistant from Greater Manchester — This ambitious baker hails from Libya and has been baking since she was 13. Maisam incorporates plenty of Mediterranean ingredients into her recipes, such as olives and sesame seeds.

• Maxy, 29, architectural assistant from London — Watch out for Swedish-born Maxy, who has a strong artistic sense, which she draws on to create beautiful bakes. Her favorite flavors are heavily influenced by her Scandinavian heritage: Cardamom, saffron, and cinnamon. 

• Rebs, 23, master’s student from County Antrim in Northern Ireland — Rebs grew up surrounded by bakes, from helping her mum in the kitchen to her grandmother’s lemon meringue pies. She loves cooking with Middle Eastern ingredients; a nod to her boyfriend Jack’s Turkish background.

• Sandro, 30, nanny from London — Sandro began baking when he was 21 as a form of therapy after his father’s passing. Though he had to flee the Angola war with his mum when he was two, Sandro is proud of his heritage and weaves great Angolan-inspired flavors into his baking.

• Syabira, 32, cardiovascular research associate from London — Syabira started baking after making a cake that reminded her of the treats from her home country Malaysia. She loves injecting Malaysian twists into British staples, such as chicken rendang cornish pastries.

• Will, 45, former charity director from London — This baker’s journey started early; at just two years old, Will was already helping his mother transform pastry trimmings into jam tarts. He loves paprika, salted caramel, and using yeast in his bakes (even outside of bread!).