The Great British Bake Off returns for 2026 with a brand new batch of twelve bakers. Alongside the contestants, all eyes will be on the show’s glamorous new judge, Nigella Lawson – the queen of innuendo. Which contestant will be the first to get a soggy bottom facing her critique?
This year’s line-up runs from a paediatric doctor to a retired garment technologist, a law student to a former podium dancer. And leading them all, as far as we are concerned: Gabe, artist, drag king and self-styled “daddy of Birmingham drag”. Meet the class of 2026.
Gabe, 32, artist and drag king, West Midlands
Gabe is a professional drag king and the self-styled “daddy of Birmingham drag” and, honestly, the Bake Off tent is about to get a lot louder in the best way. They describe themself as a “professional nuisance”, which feels like an energy the show can always use.
In their questionnaire, Gabe says they did shots with Nigella, previously had their bum smacked by Alison Hammond, and was ready to cream pie themselves in front of Noel Fielding. Whether it’s bakes, banter or pure chaos, Gabe sounds like the contestant you’ll be quoting all series.
Clara, 24, marketing graduate, Hertfordshire
Clara is described as a Portuguese “fantasy girlie”, with a signature style that’s “chaotically beautiful”. If you love your bakes with personality, she’s one to watch.
Her show bio also says she believes “the first bite of a bake is always with the eyes”, which certainly sets a vibe for potential style-over-substance feedback from Paul Hollywood.
Mo, 21, law student, West Midlands
Mo’s questionnaire is full of big energy: he says he doesn’t own any cookbooks, calls himself “chaotic and random”, and says he enjoys “winging it”. That is either fearless or terrifying, depending on the week’s technical.
He also admits he has never really watched The Great British Bake Off before, which is a bold way to enter the tent.
Danni, 25, HGV service centre administrator, Dorset
Danni sums up their baking style in three words: “Chaos, chaos, chaos!” If you’re here for unpredictable week-to-week swings, this is your baker.
They also describe their superpower as never giving up, saying: “Even if I fail and fail and fail and fail, I just get back up and keep going and try again in a different way.”
Gary, 67, retired garment technologist, Nottinghamshire
Gary is a retired garment technologist from Nottinghamshire, and he comes across as pleasingly straightforward in his questionnaire. There’s something very comforting about a baker who keeps it simple.
His bio also suggests he lives happily with his wife and all their animals, which feels like peak Bake Off wholesomeness.
Shannon, 29, project planner and scheduler, Gloucestershire
Shannon brings serious detail: her questionnaire is the longest of the year, running to almost 2,000 words. If you like a contestant who gives you the full story, she’s delivering.
She was also a back-up baker on the show last year, and says baking for the judges turned her stomach into “a swarm of butterflies”. Shannon also writes that “Nigella brought this sensational presence into the tent, a kind of calm elegance that made the whole space feel homely and safe.”
Moyin, 22, political economy student, Essex
Moyin is a political economy student who, by his own bio, has been collecting achievements for years. He was an under-20 100m champion and could make macarons by the age of 14.
He also notes that he often attends seminars on global political thought, which is not a sentence you hear every day in a Bake Off intro.
Yannis, 28, paediatric doctor, London
Yannis is a paediatric doctor based in London, and he comes across as composed and thoughtful. He puts a big emphasis on caring for people, which tracks with his day job.
He is Bangladeshi, born in Vienna but raised in London, and says Bake Off is the show that helped him learn to speak English.
Tom, 25, hairdresser, West Yorkshire
Tom is a hairdresser from West Yorkshire who describes himself as “super chill”. That kind of calm can be priceless when the pressure ramps up.
He also says he’s obsessed by Nigella, which is a very relatable mood for this series.
Nikki, 50, advertising post-producer, London
Nikki is an advertising post-producer from London with a brilliantly specific bit of backstory: she was once a podium dancer at Ziggy’s nightclub in Basingstoke in the 1990s. That alone suggests she’s not going to be fazed by a few cameras.
In her questionnaire, she describes her baking style as “flavours, combinations and colours”, which hints at someone who’s thinking in bold, visual terms.
Connie, 63, NHS hospital discharge lead, London
Connie is an NHS hospital discharge lead, and she loves baking cakes so much that people call her “the Cake Lady”. Even better, she isn’t upset by it.
Her bio says plenty of other bakers name Connie in their own write-ups, and she keeps a jar of fruit permanently soaking in rum.
Molly, 31, accessibility coordinator, London
Molly is an accessibility coordinator from London who has been baking since she was six. That’s a lifetime of practice to bring into the tent.
Her bio also says she is 25% of the way through a 350,000-stitch cross-stitch landscape of Rivendell, which is an astonishing level of commitment.
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