Great British Bake Off 15x8
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.
https://instagram.com/p/DCSOfWIgIEW
15x8: 70s Week
It's a Bake Off first as the bakers get groovy for 1970s Week with towering profiteroles and a retro favourite. Whose gateau will steal the show and who'll make the semi-final?
signature challenge: 30 profiteroles
who made what: [Spoiler (click to open)]
Christiaan - black forest inspired profiteroles with chocolate choux, cherry kirsch jam, chocolate & kirsch namelka, chocolate craquelin, kirsch chantilly cream
Dylan - Star Wars droid profiterole stack with banana crême pâtissiêre, salted caramel, nougatine stand (Hollywood handshake)
Georgie - tribute to Freddie Mercury croquembouche with white chocolate coconut crême pâtissiêre, dark chocolate & caramel crême pâtissiêre
Gill - 70s Christmas tree with chocolate hazelnut crême pâtissiêre, red & green craquelin
Illiyin - ode to the afro croquembouche with white chocolate & raspberry jam diplomat, brown butter caramel and hazelnut amaretto diplomat
technical challenge: banoffee pie
rankings: [Spoiler (click to open)]
1 - Georgie
2 - Christiaan
3 - Dylan
4 - Illiyin
5 - Gill
showstopper challenge: 2 tiered gâteau with intricate piping
who made what: [Spoiler (click to open)]
https://instagram.com/p/DCSTdEWg2Y0
Christiaan - snow star gâteau with hazelnut lemon génoise, mascarpone chantilly cream, advocaat curd, psychedelic buttercream
Dylan - mint chocolate chip gâteau with 12 layers of chocolate sponge, peppermint buttercream
Georgie - 70s bathroom inspired black forest gâteau with kirsch soaked chocolate génoise, mascarpone cream, cherry compôte, chantilly cream, cherries, buttercream
Gill - black forest gâteau with dark chocolate sponge, cherry & mascarpone filling, shag pile cherry & kirsch buttercream
Illiyin - peach melba gâteau with 8 layers of génoise sponge, peach chantilly cream, peach & champagne compôte, raspberry compôte, white chocolate whipped ganache
star baker: [Spoiler (click to open)] Georgie
eliminated: [Spoiler (click to open)] Illiyin
next week: pâtisserie
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Poll