Channel 4’s Celebrity Bake Off welcomes ‘very special’ judge and fans are thrilled

A beloved pastry chef made her debut as a judge on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer

Channel 4’s Celebrity Bake Off welcomes ‘very special’ judge and fans are thrilled(Image: Channel 4)

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer has welcomed a fresh face to the judging panel, sparking unanimous reactions from viewers.

It was announced earlier this year that pastry expert Cherish Finden would be taking up judging duties for the forthcoming celebrity edition.

The Bake Off: The Professionals judge will stand alongside Paul Hollywood in the famous tent, alongside presenters Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. This follows Prue Leith’s departure from the main programme after nine series, with Nigella Lawson taking her place.

The new series of Celebrity Bake Off made its Channel 4 debut on Sunday (March 22), with Alison unveiling the “very special” guest judge. Viewers wasted no time in flocking to social media to express their opinions on Cherish’s arrival.

“YES to Cherish! What a fab edition to the tent!” one viewer posted on X (formerly Twitter), reports Gloucestershire Live.

Cherish Finden entered the Bake Off tent(Image: Channel 4)

Someone else commented: “More excited than usual for Celebrity Bake Off starting tonight because Cherish Finden is finally in the tent and I have waited for this day through 10 seasons of Bake Off Professionals,” whilst a third remarked: “Should be good. Great line-up.”

A fourth enthusiast mirrored the praise, declaring: “B****y love Cherish, would rather her on than Nigella!!” with another likewise stating: “I am loving Cherish, she’s my new fave judge.”

Cherish had previously expressed that she was “delighted to be joining Paul in judging Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C”.

She continued: “Whilst I definitely haven’t left my ruler at home, judging these wonderful celebrities is about more than just precision, it’s about spreading joy and supporting a meaningful cause.”

The programme features an array of well-known personalities stepping into the tent to wow the judges with their creations across the Signature, Technical and Showstopper rounds. This show’s line-up includes former Celebrity Big Brother contestant JoJo Siwa, Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague, ex-Strictly Come Dancing participant Vicky Pattison, and actor Emmett J Scanlan.

Fans were impressed with the new judge(Image: Channel 4)

The opening instalment welcomed back a selection of comedians, featuring reigning star baker Joe Wilkinson, alongside Roisin Conaty, Rose Matafeo, Judi Love, Tom Davis, and Jon Richardson.

They first attempted to bake breakfast pastries in the Signature challenge, with Rose earning a Hollywood handshake.

Cherish then set the group the task of baking matcha and yuzu biscuits for the Technical. The vegan sandwich biscuits needed to be flower shaped, and filled with a smooth ganache.

After Jon came first in the Technical, the comedians concluded the episode by recreating the weirdest places that they’ve ever slept in cake form, in a bid to win star baker.

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer is available to stream on Channel 4

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