'The Great British Bake Off' 2021: Meet the bakers competing in season 12
The Great British Bake Off has unveiled its 2021 batch of bakers ready to take on the tent when the new series launches next week - and they include a Met police detective, a 19-year-old student, and plenty of global flavour influences.
Baking is set to get an international flavour for season 12, with contestants bringing Greek-Cypriot, Italian, Jamaican, Kenyan, Portuguese-Goan, German and Trinidadian heritage to their creations.
Read more: All you need to know about Bake Off 2021
Met police detective Amanda, 56, and dad-of-three George, 34, both come from Greek-Cypriot families and love to include Greek inspiration in their bakes, while Londoner Crystelle, 26, brings the flavours of her parents' Kenyan and Portuguese-Goan backgrounds to the kitchen.
Jurgen, 56, is originally from the Black Forest and has perfected the German bread that he couldn't find in his new UK home, as well as being known for his delicious Jewish challah.
Trinidadian-born Jairzeno, 51, loves to include Caribbean spices as does keen dancer Rochica, 27, who comes from a big Jamaican family, while Italian Giuseppe, 45, keeps his family's cooking traditions going for his own kids.
Last year's Bake Off was won by the show's youngest ever champion, Peter Sawkins, at 20 years old and this year's contestants span an age range from 19-year-old psychology student Freya to 70-year-old retired midwife Maggie.
The line-up also includes 40-year-old sales manager Chigs who is a recent convert to baking since taking it up during lockdown and is self-taught from online videos.
Car production operative Lizzie, 28, says she prefers simple presentation and letting her flavours do the talking, while software developer Tom, 28, says his lifelong love of baking includes having been the only boy in his primary school baking club.
Read more: Bake Off's most famous controversies since it began
The 12 bakers will battle it out over 10 weeks in the Bake Off tent, hoping to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith enough to win Star Baker.
Season 12 of The Great British Bake Off is set to begin on Tuesday, 21 September at 8pm on Channel 4, with the final scheduled for 23 November.
Hollywood and Leith will be back as judges, with Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas also returning to present.
Watch: See the Great British Bake Off series 12 trailer
