The Great British Bake Off Is Back This Autumn – Here’s What We Know So Far

Yes, it’s technically summertime, but the weather has been feeling distinctly autumnal of late, meaning that our thoughts have started turning towards the next season’s TV schedule.

September means the return of many of our favourite reality shows, from Strictly Come Dancing to the brand new season of The Great British Bake Off.

This time around, there’s been a slight shake up in the Bake Off tent, with a brand new presenter on board following Matt Lucas’ departure at the end of last year.

Here’s what we know so far about season 14 of the Bake Off…

Who will be hosting the new season?

After a stint in the Bake Off tent during the third season of the show’s celebrity spin-off for Stand Up To Cancer, Alison Hammond will be joining Noel Fielding as a GBBO host.

She’ll be taking over from Matt Lucas, who announced he’d be leaving the show back in December in order to focus on other ventures, including writing a new project with his Little Britain co-creator David Walliams.

Alison’s new gig was confirmed earlier this year, when she shared a short video on Instagram, showing her and her new colleagues in cake form. “It’s official!!” she wrote in the caption, adding: “Let’s have it – the cake that is.”

“Alison is much loved, effortlessly funny and the owner of the best laugh in Britain,” Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said when the news was announced. “She was a huge hit when she appeared on Celebrity Bake Off and we’re thrilled to have her back in the tent.”

We’ve already seen Alison bring the laughs to This Morning (remember when she even managed to make notorious grump Harrison Ford get the giggles?), so we can’t wait to see what she makes of her new role.

Alison Hammond is Bake Off's new co-host
Alison Hammond is Bake Off’s new co-host

Channel 4/Love Productions

And who will be judging?

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will be back on the show, providing their expert opinion on the contestants’ bakes and making tough decisions about which amateur baker to eliminate from the competition each week.

It’s Prue’s seventh season on the show, after replacing Mary Berry when the Bake Off jumped ships from the BBC to Channel 4; Paul, meanwhile, has appeared in every season to date.

When will The Great British Bake Off 2023 be on TV?

Channel 4 are yet to confirm an exact start date for the show, but we can certainly make an educated guess based on previous years.

The Bake Off tends to be filmed over the summer, and each 10 episode season usually begins in the middle of September, typically airing on a Tuesday evening. The final then takes place towards the end of November.

As well as watching on the night on Channel 4 (to avoid spoilers, of course) you’ll also be able to catch up on the broadcaster’s streaming site; plus, each series usually airs on Netflix in the US (where it’s known as The Great British Baking Show).

Who will be taking part?

Details of this year’s contestants are under wraps for now, but each season typically features a line-up of 12 skilled bakers of all ages, with different specialisms in the kitchen. Channel 4 tends to release information about new GBBO hopefuls at the start of September, a couple of weeks before the first episode, so keep your eyes peeled.

Is there a trailer for The Great British Bake Off 2023?

Not yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated as soon as the first teaser clip drops.

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The Stars Of Bake Off As Are Just As Excited About Alison Hammond’s New Role As The Rest Of Us

Alison’s new co-stars reacted to the announcement on a video she shared on social media.

Noel, who has hosted the show since it moved to Channel 4 from BBC One in 2018, said: “Congratulations and Welcome to the tent lovely !! We are gonna have an absolute blast together. I can’t wait. I’m buzzing. Two naughty kids together 🙂 x x x.x

“The bakers will love you,” he added.

Judge Prue Leith wrote: “Huge congratulations Alison, you will be magnificent and I can’t wait for your infectious laugh to be ringing through the tent.”

Fellow judge Paul Hollywood said: “See you on the tent. Welcome xx [sic].”

Alison was also flooded with congratulatory messages from other celebrity friends and fans.

Her This Morning co-star Holly Willoughby said: “This is the greatest news babe!!!! Congratulations and save me a slice!!!!”

Alexandra Burke added: “Forever proud of you!!!!!! Congrats darling xx.”

Alison said she was “absolutely thrilled” to be joining the team.

Bake Off was originally hosted by Mel and Sue during its original BBC incarnation, with Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig taking over when the show made the jump to Channel 4.

Sandi stepped down as host in 2019, with Matt taking over as Noel’s co-host in 2020.

The Great British Bake Off will return to Channel 4 in the autumn.

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