'The Great British Baking Show' Cast in 2023: Get to Know Each Baker
Fall has arrived, which means it's time for falling leaves, cozy clothes, and delicious bakes. The Great British Baking Show (or Bake Off for fans watching in the UK) will return for its latest season on September 29, with new episodes dropping weekly on Netflix. This year, the competition will be going through quite a few changes, from the arrival of Alison Hammond as a new co-host to the elimination of the controversial national theme weeks. What will never change is the thrill of seeing a new batch of talented and supportive bakers show their talents in the tent. Read on to meet the cast of The Great British Baking Show in 2023.
Abbi, 27
Yorkshire native Abbi honed her baking skills in her teens, as she became intrigued by traditional bakes from the Victorian era, such as steamed puddings and fruit cakes. A lover of the great outdoors, she takes inspiration for her bakes from the English countryside, and utilizes seasonal ingredients and her own homegrown veg in her bakes. She aims for her creations to have a strong nod towards nature and a fairytale touch.
Amos, 43
As a child growing up in Nottingham, hospitality professional Amos was fascinated by his mom's ability to whip up amazing bakes on a whim. In addition to naming her as his baking inspiration and role model, the film, theater, and theme-park lover describes his bakes as a "labor of love." He loves experimenting with flavor profiles and compares his colorful and chic baking style to the converted church that he now lives in in North London, calling both his home and style "traditional with a modern twist."
Cristy, 33
For mother-of-four Cristy, there's always a birthday cake to bake or a party to plan. The personal assistant specializes in cakes and draws flavor inspiration from her own Israeli heritage, as well as her husband’s Jamaican roots. As for her style, she favors bakes that conjure up a sense of childhood and she gets a thrill from making sure her decorations look perfect. Fun fact: she can also solve a Rubik's cube in under four minutes.
Dan, 42
Civil engineer Dan became interested in baking after a trip to South America in 2007, and the pie and patisserie enthusiast honed his shortcrust pastry skills with the help of his mother-in-law. The perfectionist father of two loves a baking challenge and will often tackle the hardest bakes from his collection of more than 300(!) cookbooks. When he's not baking, he loves to work out, play football with his sons, or forage for ingredients in the countryside around his home.
Dana, 25
Database administrator Dana was originally inspired to bake at the age of 16, when she recognized a gap in her family's culinary repertoire. Now that she has a kitchen of her own, the self-professed untidy baker is now her family's go-to cake-maker for celebrations. Her rustic yet pleasing style favors semi-naked cakes featuring neat lines, pretty piping and minimalist decoration. Though she tends to keep her flavors safe, she'll often incorporate familiar spices associated with her Indian heritage.
Josh, 27
In the tradition of chemists who find their way to baking, Josh brings his love of precision and experimentation to his bakes, taking careful notes on each part of the baking process to perfect his techniques. The post-doctoral research associate from Leicestershire likes to reinvent classics from old baking books and adding modern twists, often by introducing new flavors and seasonal ingredients from his kitchen garden. The avid rugby player brings monthly treats for his teammates, and he dreams of owning his own artisan bakery.
Keith, 60
Accountant Keith's formative baking years were filled with apple pies and fairy cakes, as well as traditional dishes from his mother's home in Malta. He's never stopped baking since, and he recently takes inspiration from 1970s cookbooks. He loves the challenge of taking on more complex bakes and has grown in confidence with bread, filling his seaside home—which he shares with his partner, Sue and their poodle, Maisie—with the smell of freshly-baked loaves.
Matty, 28
While Matty—a science and PE teacher from Cambridgeshire—is the type of baker who watches online patisserie videos before bed, his ultimate marker of an impressive bake is the one that first spurred his imagination: a teddy-bear cake that his late grandmother made for his fourth birthday. He also describes his style as rustic, and his favorite flavors are chocolate, citrus, and nuts. Once he's finished challenging himself on GBBO, his next task will be making his own wedding cake, for his upcoming nuptials with fiancée Lara.
Nicky, 52
Retiree Nicky loves baking now as much as she did when she was a little girl, decorating cakes at her Gran's kitchen table. She has a penchant for "little traditional bakes that evoke fond memories," and she favors pastries, breads, and fun birthday cakes for her niece and grandchildren. When she’s not baking, Nicky volunteers for a pet-therapy charity, along with her dog, Bracken.
Rowan, 21
This year's youngest contestant, English Lit student Rowan, applies his personal motto of "go big, or go home" to his bakes. His earliest baking memories are of traditional jam tarts, shortbread, and scones, but he now expresses his opulent side in his grand creations. He aims for clean lines and unique decoration in his bakes, and he made his own three-tier, 12-layer, 21st birthday cake.
Saku, 50
Sri Lankan-born Intelligence analyst Saku centers traditional flavors of her heritage at the heart of her baking; she claims that curry spices, make for the best pie fillings, while cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg find their way into her sweeter bakes. Saku's family home didn’t have an oven until she was 18, so she only began baking after she moved with her husband to the UK in 2003, and begun recreating supermarket snacks for her children's lunchboxes. She now loves using her homegrown ingredients from her vegetable patch in her bakes.
Tasha, 27
Tasha will make history as the first deaf contestant to join the beloved baking competition. The Bristol resident has fond memories of baking throughout her childhood, from licking the icing off the tops of the fairy cakes she used to make with her mother and grandmother, to making cakes for her secondary school friends. The fearless baker uses her hobby as a way to express herself creatively through near impossible designs. When she's not baking, Tasha enjoys seeing shows on the West End and traveling the world.
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