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24 celebs will show off their baking skills for charity<\/p>\n
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Author: Alex Ross<\/span>Published 5 minutes ago While we wait for the 2026 series of The Great British Bake Off<\/a> later this year, fans won\u2019t have to go without for too long, as there\u2019s a celebrity special coming soon to satisfy those sweet cravings!<\/p>\n Packed full of names from the world of TV, comedy, music and sport, The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer promises to entertain as a new set of famous faces attempt to show off their baking skills. <\/p>\n There’s no start date confirmed just yet, but Channel 4 have teased the new series is ‘coming soon’. <\/p>\n The 2025 series started on Sunday 16th March, with new episodes every Sunday night until Sunday 13th April 2025.<\/p>\n 24 celebs have been announced for the 2026 series of Celebrity Bake Off, including Hits Radio<\/a> presenter Sam Thompson<\/a>, reality star Molly-Mae Hague<\/a>, Stric<\/a>tly<\/a> 2025 contestant Vicky Pattison, and Kin<\/a> actor Emmett J. Scanlan. <\/p>\n JoJo Siwa will also show off her baking skills, alongside the likes of Rose Ayling-Ellis, Joe Wilkinson, Ralf Little, Rag\u2019n\u2019Bone Man<\/a>, and JLS singer Aston Merrygold.<\/p>\n Check out the full line-up below:<\/strong><\/p>\n Molly-Mae Hague<\/p>\n JoJo Siwa <\/p>\n Babatunde Al\u00e9sh\u00e9 <\/p>\n Richard Herring <\/p>\n Ambika Mod <\/p>\n Rose Ayling-Ellis <\/p>\n Sam Thompson <\/p>\n Vicky Pattison <\/p>\n Alex Brooker <\/p>\n Joe Wilkinson <\/p>\n Tom Davis <\/p>\n Rose Matafeo <\/p>\n Judi Love <\/p>\n Jon Richardson <\/p>\n Roisin Conaty <\/p>\n Ralf Little <\/p>\n Mutya Buena <\/p>\n Emmett J. Scanlan <\/p>\n Mark Wright <\/p>\n Nella Rose <\/p>\n Rag\u2019n\u2019Bone Man <\/p>\n Edith Bowman <\/p>\n Aston Merrygold <\/p>\n Scott Mills<\/p>\n Following the news that Prue Leith has left the show<\/a>, pastry chef Cherish Finden will join Paul Hollywood to give an expert opinion on the baker’s creations. She’s no stranger to the show, having previously appeared on Bake Off: The Professionals.<\/p>\n Cherish said: “I am delighted to be joining Paul in judging Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C. Stepping from the professional kitchen into the famous Bake Off tent felt like my first day of school – my heart was racing and I had butterflies in my tummy!<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n “To be part of SU2C and see the contestants push themselves out of their comfort zone for such a good cause was simply brilliant.”<\/p>\n Nigella Lawson will replace Prue<\/a> on the main show later this year. <\/p>\n Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding will return to present the celebrity special.<\/p>\n The Great British Bake Off celebrity special in aid of Stand Up To Cancer will air on Channel 4.<\/p>\n Except professional bakers or chefs! It’s seven pages long, asks a LOT of questions, and demands you reveal the truth about your previous successes and failures in the kitchen.<\/p>\n You can find it here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If they like what they see on your application form, a researcher will call you and give you a 45 minute interview over the phone.<\/p>\n Then, if you pass THAT test, they’ll have you whip up two baked treats, bring them to London, have an interview with a producer, and go through a screen test.<\/p>\n Think you’re done? Nope!<\/p>\n You then have to try out a Technical Challenge set by the GBBO judges – in front of the camera. They also ask that you bring another bake along (presumably the producers are taste testing these \/ big fans of cake).<\/p>\n If you’re still in the running, you’ll then be interviewed by the show’s psychologist to make sure they can handle the pressure of filming.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The show is filmed over a 10-week period between April and June, with contestants spending up to 16 hours a day filming.<\/p>\n They manage to package up a whole session of baking into one hour, which means that a lot of it ends up on the cutting room floor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n That’s right, contestants only do their GBBO stuff on weekends, which means that they can keep working their normal 9-to-5 jobs in the week.<\/p>\n However they are picked up from their hotels at 9am each Saturday and Sunday morning, to ensure they get as much filming time in as possible.<\/p>\n No rest for the wicked, eh?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n There’s no dishwasher on Bake Off, because the noise would disrupt filming. Instead, home economists spend 160 hours washing up everything by hand. We hope they all get given a free hand lotion each\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yes, that’s right. They only get their ingredients provided when they reach the finals – which makes things pretty expensive. Particularly as they use between 12-20 ingredients per bake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n There are around 50 crew members on set – and, yes, they all get to tuck into the cakes and goodies after the judges give their verdict. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Producers take all contestants out for dinner together on the first night, and they usually become good pals over time; they often stay at the same hotel, so dinners and drinks and socialising become pretty regular.<\/p>\n Which means that, yes, they really DO mean it when they say they’re happy for the overall winner – they’re pretty much all besties by that point!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n They bake a Victoria Sponge in each oven every single morning of filming, to make sure everything is ship-shape and ready to go. We imagine everyone gets a bit sick of tucking into that particular type of cake come the end of filming!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n That’s right; Anna Beattie, the show’s creator, really believed that village fete baking competitions would suit TV. Anna, judging by the viewing figures, was 100% correct!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The duo were approached to present the show together – and they were quick to suggest that Mary Berry should be a judge back when GBBO was on BBC One. The show moved to Channel 4 in 2017 without Mary Berry. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In fact, producers are well and truly prepared if this happens; they have a runner on standby at a local supermarket every morning in case a contestant realises overnight that they’ve forgotten an ingredient.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n So much so that contestants aren’t allowed to put anything in – or take anything out of – the oven without flagging a producer down first. They want to make sure that they have a camera on standby to film those big baking moments. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you make it through to the Bake Off finals, you will be told what the challenges are going to be – and you’ll have to submit your recipes for approval. No pressure, eh?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Back when the show was on BBC One, they preferred to keep things professional with contestants, and wouldn’t usually speak to them outside of the Bake Off tent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The duo were happy to chat to contestants away from the cameras – and Sue even said that she likes to stay in touch with them via email once the show is all over. N’aww.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Hole in the Wall with Alison Hammond set for pilot on BBC<\/a><\/p>\n Netflix users are just discovering old drama with Vicky McClure and Morven Christie<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nWhen is it on TV?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Which celebs are taking part?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Who are the judges?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Who is hosting the show?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What channel is it on?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Check out all of these facts about Bake Off below:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Anyone can apply for Bake Off<\/h4>\n
Applications are open to any UK resident over the age of 16. However they cannot make their main source of income from commercial baking and entrants can’t have worked as a professional chef or baker at any point. Plus, applicants cannot have acquired any professional catering qualifications in the last ten years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n2. The GBBO application form is VERY LONG<\/h4>\n
3. The Great British Bake Off application process doesn\u2019t stop there!<\/h4>\n
4. GBBO filming is intense<\/h4>\n
5… but at least it\u2019s contained to weekends<\/h4>\n
6. GBBO contestants don\u2019t do the washing up themselves<\/h4>\n
7. GBBO contestants pay for ingredients themselves<\/h4>\n
8. A lot of people are involved in the production of GBBO<\/h4>\n
9. GBBO contestants are encouraged to become friends<\/h4>\n
10. They make more cakes than you\u2019d ever dreamed of<\/h4>\n
11. The show is LITERALLY based on village fetes<\/h4>\n
12. Mel and Sue recommended Mary Berry<\/h4>\n
13. It\u2019s not a disaster if someone forgets an ingredient<\/h4>\n
14. Oven time is crucial<\/h4>\n
15. The Bake Off challenges are NOT surprises<\/h4>\n
16. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood were off limits<\/h4>\n
17. \u2026 but Mel and Sue weren’t<\/h4>\n
Now read:<\/strong><\/h3>\n