Bake Off 2022: Meet the contestants for the 13th series of The Great British Bake Off

Here’s what you need to know about the 12 bakers appearing this year...

The contestants for the new series of The Great British Bake Off have been announced.

Among the bakers introduced in this year’s series are a nuclear scientist, a music teacher and a nanny.

The show is set to return tonight, with Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith reprising their roles as judges.

Bake Off will also see Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas return to host the series.

Here’s a rundown of all the contestants set to appear on this year’s Bake Off...

Abdul, 29

Electronics Engineer from London

Abdul‘s interest in baking began when he and his graduate colleagues baked for each other to brighten up their daily coffee breaks. He applies his precision thinking to the chemistry of creating bakes. Matcha is among his favourite flavours.

Carole, 59

Supermarket Cashier from Dorset

Carole’s colourful and eclectic bakes are inspired by her passion for horticulture. She began her baking journey with a first birthday cake for her eldest granddaughter Maisie. Since then, she has used YouTube to teach herself the finer techniques of decoration. Her favourite flavours are fruity and punchy.

Dawn, 60

IT Manager from Bedfordshire

Dawn loves the challenge of an illusion cake, favouring whacky and intricate designs that allow her to express her creative talent. She prides herself on her steady hand and attention to detail, especially when it comes to the intricacy required for lace patterns on biscuits. Her favourite flavours are lemon, salted caramel and anything nutty.

James, 25

Nuclear Scientist from Cumbria

James loves horror films from the Seventies and Eighties. This passion has influenced his baking, with his signature style of bakes being “child-friendly horror”. His favourite flavours are anything autumnal, such as mixed spice, apples and caramel.

Janusz, 34

Personal Assistant to Head Teacher from East Sussex

Janusz was inspired to bake by his mother, who always baked on a Saturday; a tradition Janusz continued when he moved away from home to go to university. He describes his baking style as “cartoon-like, colourful and camp”, and loves working Polish ingredients into British classics. His favourite flavours are ginger and chocolate.

Kevin, 33

Music Teacher from Lanarkshire

Kevin began baking when he was 17. His ethos in the kitchen is to use the best, seasonal ingredients and to spend time refining technique – with these in hand, he believes the presentation will take care of itself. His loves interesting combinations of fruits, herbs, nuts and spices.

Maisam, 18

Student & Sales Assistant from Greater Manchester

Maisam has been baking since she was about 13 years old, and she loves the science required to get a bake right – often trying something multiple times until it is perfect. Her favourite flavours are inspired by her Mediterranean heritage – she loves the tang of olives, the sweetness of dates and the nuttiness of sesame seeds.

Maxy, 29

Architectural Assistant from London

Maxy began baking five years ago, with the arrival of her first daughter, and uses her strong artistic skills to create beautifully decorated celebration cakes. Her favourite flavours link to her Scandinavian upbringing – the sweet and delicate spice of cardamom and saffron buns and cinnamon rolls.

Rebs, 23

Masters Student from County Antrim

Rebs’s earliest baking memory is of being a child, aged only three years old, helping her mum in the kitchen, and of eating her granny’s renowned lemon meringue pies. More recently, she returned to baking as a way to unwind from the stress of a busy life in the tech world. Flavour is paramount for her, and she has more recently started to play around with Middle Eastern ingredients – in a nod to her boyfriend Jack’s Turkish family heritage.

Sandro, 30

Nanny from London

When Sandro was 21 his father died and he turned to baking as a form of therapy. Now, he loves it, and is often found rustling up bakes while watching TV, or running virtual baking classes for children with autism. He likes to infuse his bakes with flavours from his Angolan heritage – the spice of paprika paired with tangy cheese, and sweet bakes covered in sticky dulce de leche.

Syabira, 32

Cardiovascular Research Associate from London

Syabira started baking relatively recently – in 2017 – with a red velvet cake, which reminded her of the treats she shared with her friends in Malaysia. She is all for giving Malaysian flavour twists to British classics – chicken rendang cornish pasties are a particular favourite.

Will, 45

Former Charity Director from London

Will’s passion for baking began when he was two, when his mother would give him her pastry trimmings to turn into little jam tarts. Intrigued by the technical side of baking, he is a particular fan of using yeast – and not just in bread. His favourite flavours are salted caramel and paprika (but not together).

The Great British Bake Off starts tonight on Channel 4.