Great British Bake Off season 15 premiere
meet the bakers
Andy
age: 44
from: Essex
job: car mechanic
Andy has been baking since he was a child and now wants to take his baking prowess to the next level. In between seeing the world with partner Nicki in their motorhome, Andy is also hoping to inspire his daughter, Maisie, to follow in his footsteps as a baker.
Christiaan
age: 33
from: The Netherlands
job: menswear designer
Christiaan studied fashion in Amsterdam before moving to the UK to pursue his career seven years ago. His eye for fashion has definitely inspired his baking with every confection having a little creative flair. When he's not baking, he loves soaking up the atmosphere in London galleries and museums.
Dylan
age: 20
from: Buckinghamshire
job: retail temp
Dylan, who recently completed a gap year travelling around Southeast Asia, loves nothing more than immersing himself in various cultures. With an Indian mother and Japanese-Belgian father, Dylan's work is inspired by Japanese bakes and the work of French pâtissérie chefs.
Georgie
age: 34
from: Carmarthenshire
job: paediatric nurse
A self-proclaimed cannoli connoisseur, Georgie has her Italian roots to thank for her adoration of baking. She's also a keen forager and, along with her husband and three children, shares her Welsh farmhouse with 10 chickens, two ducks, two dogs, and a cat.
Gill
age: 53
from: Lancashire
job: senior category manager
Gill's love of baking is innate - in fact, she can't remember a time when she wasn't baking. In memory of her dad, Gill used her superpower for good: raising money via her baking for an Alzheimer's charity. In 1993, she was also the UK's youngest driving instructor, aged 21.
Hazel
age: 71
from: Kent
job: former nail technician
Hazel has become the highlight of family gatherings with her innovative creations. She's made numerous car cakes with working lights and remote control wheels and also made a carousel birthday cake with 500 edible diamonds. When she isn't wowing her family with her baking, Hazel enjoys bingo.
Illiyin
age: 31
from: Norfolk
job: birth trauma specialist midwife
A qualified midwife and published author, Illiyn likes to incorporate numerous cultures into her baking, including Caribbean-inspired savoury bakes and sweet treats using Middle Eastern ingredients like rose and mint. She also freelances as a midwife.
Jeff
age: 67
from: New York
job: former university lecturer
Now living in West Yorkshire, Jeff was raised in the Bronx in New York. A keen basketball player and swimmer, he touched down in the UK in 1979. He learned about baking from his grandmother and Hungarian great-grandmother.
John
age: 37
from: West Midlands
job: directorate support manager
John has had quite the career journey, having had experience as both a hairdresser and estate agent, but the NHS was where he really found his groove. John learned everything he knows about baking from his nan, and when he isn't honing his skillset in the kitchen, he's teaching his nephews everything they need to know about baking, too. Some of his favourite bakes include fairy cakes, pies, and lemon tarts.
Mike
age: 29
from: Wiltshire
job: farm manager
A fourth-generation farmer, Mike works at his family farm with his sister and parents. He was shortlisted for Young Farmer of the Year at the 2024 National Arable and Grassland Awards and was an ambassador for the National Farmers' Union in 2022. In his baking, he's a big fan of incorporating freshly-grown fruit and edible flowers.
Nelly
age: 44
from: Slovakia
job: palliative care assistant
Now based in Dorset, Nelly was born in Slovakia before moving to Austria to study nursing. Her love for baking all started when she was inspired to try her neighbour's gingerbread recipe - and the rest, as they say, is history. The self-taught baker loves incorporating flavours not just from her Slovakian culture, but also her husband's Pakistani heritage.
Sumayah
age: 19
from: Lancashire
job: dentistry student
Ahead of studying dentistry at university next year, Sumayah decided to opt for a low-key, relaxed gap year. Just kidding - the self-taught baker has decided to spend her break in the Bake Off tent, improving her baking prowess. Outside of baking, she is a keen sewer, and even makes her own clothes.
Click to view15x1: Cake Week
Bake Off is back, as a new set of bakers enter the tent. It's Cake Week and the bakers elevate a loaf cake, tackle a Technical with a twist, and make bamboozling hyper-realistic illusion cakes.
signature challenge: loaf cake
who made what: [Spoiler (click to open)]
Andy - garden loaf cake with lemon syrup drizzle, white chocolate collar, lemon buttercream
Christiaan - cinnamon miso sponge, apple miso fudge, miso brandy snaps
Dylan - sticky mango rice inspired loaf cake with coconut sponge, mango compote center, rice puffs
Georgie - nonna loaf cake with vanilla and chocolate cake with salted caramel macarons, chocolate ganache,
Gill - chocolate orange marble loaf cake with swiss meringue buttercream, candied orange slices
Hazel - raspberry and white chocolate marble sponge, ruby chocolate shards, freeze dried raspberries
Illiyin - cinnamon roll loaf cake with cinnamon pecan base, cinnamon sugar swirl, vanilla glaze [Hollywood handshake]
Jeff - lemon and almond loaf cake with hidden raspberry sponge star, swiss meringue buttercream
John - black forest loaf cake with chocolate & cherry marbled cake, cherry syrup, cherry macarons, chocolate ganache
Mike - yellow & purple marble loaf with linseed, lemon lime syrup, lemon buttercream
Nelly - coconut sponge, pineapple jam, coconut ganache, coconut & white chocolate ganache
Sumayah - coconut and toasted milk powder sponge, carrot halwa center, cream cheese icing
technical challenge: 8 mini battenbergs with apricot jam, buttercream, and marzipan
*instead of a recipe, the bakers were each given an example which they were allowed to examine for 5 minutes*
rankings: [Spoiler (click to open)]
1 - Georgie
2 - Christiaan
3 - John
4 - Dylan
5 - Nelly
6 - Gill
7 - Illiyin
8 - Andy
9 - Sumayah
10 - Hazel
11 - Mike
* Jeff did not participate because he was sick
showstopper challenge: realistic illusion cake
who made what: [Spoiler (click to open)]
Andy - leather overnight bag with coconut sponge, raspberry jam, coconut buttercream, raspberry chantilly
Christiaan - vintage sewing machine with chocolate orange thyme sponge, orange curd, orange buttercream
Dylan - Canopic jar with spiced chiffon sponge, sesame dacquoise, tahini buttercream
Georgie - Fanny the chicken with 300 fondant feathers, lemon elderflower sponge, lemon curd, elderflower buttercream
Gill - bowling ball with dark chocolate and irish cream sponge, irish cream buttercream, irish cream caramel
Hazel - handbag with lemon sponge, lemon mascarpone cream, lemon syrup
Illiyin - vase with double chocolate sponge, caramel, peanut butter buttercream, salted peanuts, fried rice paper flowers
John - jeans with coconut sponge, coconut swiss meringue buttercream, tequila lime margarita curd
Mike - book stack with chocolate espresso cake, butterscotch swiss meringue buttercream
Nelly - retro 90s shoes with chocolate sponge, raspberry curd, chocolate ganache
Sumayah - Pato the duck with orange sponge, orange swiss meringue buttercream, balsamic strawberries
* Jeff did not participate in the showstopper challenge because he was still sick *
star baker: [Spoiler (click to open)] John
eliminated: [Spoiler (click to open)] no one
next week: biscuits!
Poll
source