Celebrity Bake Off 2025 line-up in full as stars confirmed

Celebrity Bake Off is back in the tent, with a big-name celebrity cast confirmed for the 2025 series, which has been confirmed to start on Sunday, 16 March.

But the famous amateur bakers won’t be the only ones making their tent debut as a replacement for judge Prue Leith has been announced. Last March, she said that she would be stepping back from the celebrity spin-off but would stay with the main show at Channel 4.

The series is part of the broadcaster’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign, a joint project with Cancer Research UK to raise funds and awareness with celebrity contestants often sharing their own personal links to the cause.

Here’s who will be battling it out to be named Star Baker in the 2025 series, due to air this spring.

Who’s taking part in each episode?

• 16 March – Chris Ramsey, Rosie Ramsey, Scarlette Douglas, Stuart Douglas

• 23 March – Roman Kemp, Sarah Beeny, Maxine Peake, Amelia Dimoldenberg

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• 30 March – Kate Garraway, Phil Wang, Sophie Willan, Gbemisola Ikumelo

• 6 April – Adam Buxton, Meera Syal, Tommy Tiernan, Self Esteem

• 13 April – Jim Howick, Ellie Goldstein, Jamali Maddix, Gloria Hunniford

Who has replaced Prue Leith as judge?

Prue Leith will not take part in Celebrity Bake Off any more. (Channel 4)

Back in March 2024, Leith shared the disappointing news with fans that she would no longer take part in Celebrity Bake Off.

Leith has been a Bake Off judge since 2017 when she replaced Mary Berry after the contest moved from BBC to Channel 4, but told This Morning last year that the gruelling filming schedule from April to August each year was proving too much.

She said: “Honestly, you get no time off. And I’m getting a bit old and there’s places I want to go.”

Standing: Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. Sitting: Paul Hollywood and Caroline Waldegrave – The Great British Bake Off for SU2C. (Channel 4)

It seems Leith has had a close hand in her replacement, as her long-time friend and colleague Caroline Waldegrave has been confirmed for the celebrity spin-off.

Waldegrave is the former co-owner and managing director of Leiths School of Food & Wine, and will make her debut in the 2025 series.

Celebrity Bake Off 2025 line-up confirmed

Each episode sees a different Star Baker crowned from a line-up of four famous contestants and although we don’t yet know what the groups are, the full contestant line-up has been confirmed.

Sarah Beeny

Sarah Beeny was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. (Channel 4)

Donning an apron this year is broadcaster Sarah Beeny, who will be supporting a cause close to her heart as she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. Beeny had previously made a documentary about her treatment for Channel 4, Sarah Beeny vs Cancer.

She said: “I’ve never really baked. I think I’m a bit too impatient. I have a very big family and a really big extended family, and I largely see baking as an extra that I never get around to doing. So this experience is really enjoyable, it feels like a really lazy day.”

Gloria Hunniford

Gloria Hunniford is a tireless cancer campaigner. (Channel 4)

Gloria Hunniford also has a poignant personal reason for taking part in the show as she has spoken many times about losing her daughter Caron Keating to breast cancer in 2004. Hunniford has been a tireless campaigner in raising awareness of cancer and even set up a charity in her daughter’s name.

Despite having published a cookbook, Hunniford said: “I’ve never baked. I do cook, but I’ve never baked in my life. When the publisher suggested I write a cookbook, I said ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ but they said ‘Think about it over the weekend.’ And then I remembered that I had all my grandmother’s and mother’s old handwritten recipes. They were brilliant Irish cooks, and so when the guy rang me again on the Monday, I said ‘I would be useless, I’d poison the nation, but my mother and grandmother are a different story.’”

Kate Garraway

Kate Garraway joins the tent. (Channel 4)

Another big name getting set to bake is TV favourite Kate Garraway, a regular Good Morning Britain presenter who is also known for her award-winning documentaries about becoming a carer for her late husband Derek Draper.

Garraway was unmasked as Spag Bol in The Masked Singer in January and says her kids are keen that she doesn’t embarrass them again: “My daughter, Darcey, particularly, is obsessed with (Bake Off). It is her favourite show, bar none. It even beats Love Island. So when I said I was going on it, you’d have thought she’d be really happy. But she went ‘Oh no mum – not another show you are going to shame us on! Just don’t embarrass us so much that it puts me off watching the show ever again.’

“At least it’s all in a great cause and hopefully it will give viewers a good laugh if nothing else.”

Maxine Peake

Will Maxine Peake be cast as Star Baker? (Channel 4)

Actor Peake will bring her star power to the tent – but will it translate to being Star Baker? Peake is known for her TV roles in The Village, Silk and Shameless, as well as films including The Theory of Everything. Her theatre work has included playing the title role in Hamlet.

She said: “My sister Lisa’s a huge fan, and she’s so excited that I’m in the same air space as Paul Hollywood. I had to tell her I was coming on, because I needed her help. She’s a really good baker. It was really nice just spending time with her. She’s really very excited by it all. She’s never texted me so much in her entire life.”

Considering the possibility of a Hollywood handshake, Peake added: “Can you imagine? I wouldn’t wash my hand again. I’d spontaneously combust – mostly out of shock.”

Meera Syal

Meera Syal is in the tent. (Channel 4)

Comedian, writer and actor Syal can now add “baker” to her CV, too. Syal’s extensive TV career has included Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No. 42, The Devil’s Hour and Holby City. She has written three novels as well as writing for stage and screen.

Syal said she was “thrilled” to be asked to do the show: “We’ve watched the programme for years and years, and we particularly love the celebrity one, because of the craic, really. Everyone seems to have such a good time, as well as raising money for a fantastic cause. It’s win-win, really. Who wouldn’t want to be on it?”

But she added: “At one point I was having a cup of tea, thinking I had loads of time, and the next minute it was five minutes to go, and I hadn’t done anything! I don’t know what had happened in the meantime – I think there was an alien abduction I didn’t know about, and I lost an hour.”

Sophie Willan

Sophie Willan is best known for Alma’s Not Normal. (Channel 4)

Comedian, actor and writer Sophie Willan shot to fame with her award-winning semi-autobiographical sitcom Alma’s Not Normal. She has also starred in Ludwig, narrated reality show The Circle, and took part in the 2024 series of Taskmaster. Alma’s Not Normal starred Lorraine Ashbourne as a character inspired by Willan’s own grandmother and the sitcom’s storyline followed her cancer diagnosis.

Roman Kemp

Roman Kemp – The Great British Bake Off for SU2C. (Channel 4)

Radio DJ and The One Show presenter Kemp will try his hand at baking for the series. The broadcaster, who is the son of Martin Kemp and Shirlie Holliman, previously took part in I’m A Celebrity but will be hoping to come up with something a little more palatable than the eating trials he endured.

Kemp might not have endeared himself to judge Paul Hollywood as he said: “Paul, the old dog, is just there, and he’s got those eyes. He looks quite similar to my dad, with the silver hair and the blue eyes. I called him a pub version of Martin Kemp.”

Although he claims to be a good cook, he said: “I don’t eat fruit, and I don’t really eat anything green, apart from broccoli. I’d never had a cup of tea until two years ago. And I’ve still never finished one. I think tea tastes like dirty water. I really don’t get it. Drinks aren’t meant to be hot. They’re meant to be refreshing. It was Mary Berry who tried to get me into tea. Even she couldn’t do it.”

He added: “I like what I like. If the world stopped now and said ‘There’s no more new foods coming out’ I’d be fine with that.”

Self Esteem

Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem. (Channel 4)

Singer Self Esteem (aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor) is a Mercury Prize nominee and has starred in a West End production of Cabaret. Her third solo album, A Complicated Woman, is due out in April, but can she also add a Star Baker apron to her trophy collection?

Being a Bake Off contestant is a dream come true as she says she is “a massive fan, I love it! About 15 years ago I got in touch with the chap who does the illustrations over the internet and asked him to draw me as a cherry bakewell so this is all very full circle for me.”

Jim Howick

Jim Howick joins Celebrity Bake Off. (Channel 4)

Comedian and actor Jim Howick will be well known to viewers for starring in TV hits including Ghosts, Peep Show and Horrible Histories. He’s also had a long-running recurring role in Sex Education, as well as popping up in Broadchurch, Inside No. 9 and Yonderland.

Howick had a secret weapon as his mother-in-law runs a tea shop in Acton called Tea Darling and he said: “I booked her in for two lessons. Bless her, she only has Mondays off, because Saturdays and Sundays are quite busy for her, so I managed to book her for two Mondays, including a bank holiday, I might add, to come round to mine and give me tips about baking, like covering the mixing bowl with a tea towel so the whole kitchen doesn’t get covered in icing sugar, which has happened on occasion, and the kitchen ends up looking like a ski slope. So yeah, I’ve absolutely plumbed her for advice.”

But he added: “I’m terrified of disappointing my mother-in-law. I think that’s both a strength and a weakness. Obviously she makes cakes every single day, and I want to do her proud.”

Chris Ramsey

Chris Ramsey and his wife Rosie will compete. (Channel 4)

Comedian Ramsey makes up one of two celebrity pairs joining this year’s cast, who will all go up against each other in the same episode. As well as stand-up work, panel show appearances and podcasts, his screen credits include sitcom Hebburn and reaching the semi-final of 2019’s Strictly Come Dancing.

The Ramseys are notoriously competitive and Chris said: “If one of us wins, we will mention it daily to the other for possibly a decade or two.”

Rosie Ramsey

Rosie Ramsey joins husband Chris in the tent. (Channel 4)

Ramsey’s wife Rosie first found fame hosting podcast Shagged Married Annoyed with him, but has gone on to pick up plenty of solo work, too. She is a regular on TV and took part in the 2022 Strictly Christmas special, as well as recently being announced for this year’s Taskmaster.

She said: “I’m a lot less panicky and flappy in the kitchen than Chris. So hopefully I’ll keep a cool head while he’s panicking about stuff.”

Scarlette Douglas

Scarlette Douglas joins the cast with her brother Stuart. (Channel 4)

TV presenter Douglas started out in musical theatre and as a backing singer, but found fame as a host on A Place in the Sun. She took part in 2022’s I’m A Celebrity and has more recently added to her daytime presenting work as a stand-in entertainment reporter for Good Morning Britain.

She will compete against her brother Stuart and the Ramseys in her episode and said: “I like to think that I’m quite calm under pressure. And I’m very good with time management. Stuart is not at all. He’s likely to run out of time, whereas I like to think I’ll give myself enough time at the end to sort out any issues that may pop up.”

Stuart Douglas

Stuart Douglas has presented with sister Scarlette before. (Channel 4)

Douglas’ brother Stuart joins her as the second set of celebrity relatives in the tent. The pair has worked together before on property shows including Worst House on the Street. He is a former professional footballer who played for teams including Luton Town, Boston United and Bath City.

Stuart said there would be a competitive spirit in their episode: “Put it this way: There are four of us in this tent. If I come third, and my sister comes fourth, for me that’s a win.”

Amelia Dimoldenberg

Amelia Dimoldenberg is confirmed for Celebrity Bake Off. (Channel 4)

She’s best known as the creator of Chicken Shop Date, where the comedian interviews celebrities in fried chicken restaurants. Dimoldenberg will swap chicken for cakes as she joins the cast, and she’s also known for her Channel 4 documentary Meet the Markles, featuring Meghan Markle’s relatives.

Dimoldenberg admitted she was unlikely to pivot into a food career following the show: “I had a cooking show on my YouTube channel, and every single thing I made was a disaster. I thought it would be a good idea to have a cooking show. The first ever cooking show by someone who doesn’t cook and doesn’t really like food. I’m really bad. I usually burn toast.”

Gbemisola Ikumelo

Gbemisola Ikumelo stars in the tent. (Channel 4)

Comedian and actor Ikumelo is best known for her work on sketch show Famalam and sitcom Black Ops, but Bake Off viewers may also know her as one of the main cast in Prime Video’s rebooted series of classic film A League of Their Own.

Ikumelo said of taking part in Bake Off: “There’s a beautiful, idyllic vibe. It’s like a hug of a show, there’s just this warmth, and that warmth translates into real life as well. You walk onto the set and it’s all so pretty, the aesthetics of everything. There’s milk in really beautifully rustic jars, and I’ve got a plastic bottle in the bottom of my fridge that’s past its use by date. It’s got a really romantic feel to it. It’s pretty iconic, walking in.”

Ellie Goldstein

Ellie Goldstein joins the cast. (Channel 4)

Goldstein broke boundaries as one of the first high-profile models with Down syndrome and was the first model with a disability to represent Gucci. She has been praised for representing diversity in the beauty industry. How will her baking skills fare in the tent?

She is hoping to win her episode, saying: “I’ll bring my outgoing personality, and fun into the tent. And I won’t bring any weaknesses! I’m competitive and I want to win.”

Adam Buxton

Adam Buxton is one of the comedians taking part in the show. (Channel 4)

Comedian and podcaster Buxton also joins the cast, best known for his work on The Adam and Joe Show. He also hosts The Adam Buxton Podcast, appears on comedy panel shows, and has worked as a music video producer for bands including Radiohead.

Buxton said: “It really feels like being inside the television. It looks the way it does on TV. And Alison is incredibly friendly and lovely, Paul Hollywood is quite convincingly dour at certain points. I felt a little intimidated. It’s lovely to see Noel, I haven’t seen him for years – we used to bump into each other in the comedy world in the early 2000s, so it’s a treat to see him, and slightly surreal to catch up on camera, and talk about our respective experiences of double acts, and how that relationship changes over time.”

Jamali Maddix

Jamali Maddix is in Celebrity Bake Off. (Channel 4)

Stand-up comedian Maddix has appeared on TV shows including the reboot of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and in Taskmaster, as well as hosting award-winning podcast Spooky S***. Away from comedy, he made a documentary series on extremism titled Hate Thy Neighbour in 2016.

Maddix said of meeting Paul Hollywood: “He seems alright. He’s just a bit of a grumpy guy, but I appreciate that as a grumpy guy myself.”

Phil Wang

Will Phil Wang be a Star Baker? (Channel 4)

Comedian Wang’s many TV appearances have included Taskmaster, Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You? and 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Viewers may also have spotted Wang in film Wonka, and he performs as part of comedy group Daphne in their BBC Radio 4 series Daphne Sounds Expensive.

He said: “The one time I baked before this week was a lemon drizzle cake, and I thought bicarbonate of soda was the same as baking powder. This cake came out flat, and tasting of acid and chemicals. It tasted like a big bar of soap.”

Tommy Tiernan

Tommy Tiernan tests out his baking skills. (Channel 4)

Completing the 2025 line-up is Irish comedian and actor Tommy Tiernan who viewers may know from sitcom Derry Girls. He has also appeared in Father Ted and an adaptation of Sally Rooney book Conversations with Friends.

Tiernan said of Bake Off: “I don’t watch it as often as my wife and kids do, but I think that’s a good thing. You’d hate to be over-pressurised. Maybe you’re coming in a bit more breezily than the people who are really struck by it.

“The only time I’ve ever been really struck by where I was, was when I was in an episode of Father Ted. Being in the sitting room on Craggy Island, I went ‘Oh my goodness! There’s the couch, there’s where Jack sits, there’s the table at the window, that’s where Mrs Doyle goes in and out.’ For this, fortunately, I didn’t have that. I don’t need to be more nervous than I am.”

Celebrity Bake Off 2025 judges and hosts

Caroline Waldegrave (Lady Waldegrave of North Hill) will join the Bake Off judging panel in 2025. (Channel 4)

New judge Caroline Waldegrave will be shown the ropes in the tent by longstanding judge Paul Hollywood, who has been with Bake Off since it first began in 2010.

Hollywood said of the 2025 series: “There’s been a lot of good baking – I was quite impressed. We had a good group and a good laugh. Sometimes, when we do this show, we’re knackered from having filmed the main series, but I felt energised with this series because the people were so friendly, chatty and funny. Even the non-comedians were funny. They were just nice people.”

New judge Waldegrave added: “I’ve always liked Bake Off and I couldn’t believe I was going to do the show. As a viewer, I’ve loved seeing people bake, but – more than that – I loved seeing a competition with such kindness. All the bakers seem to like each other and the team seem to like each other and to manage a really friendly competition is something very, very special.”

Back to host for another series are presenting duo Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. Hammond said of the new judge: “Caroline had Prue’s blessing. She and Prue are really good friends. Prue was telling us how amazing she was, so we were really excited about meeting her and she was lovely – an absolute breath of fresh air. She’s not too strict. I don’t think she’s as strict as Paul.”

Hammond replaced comedian Matt Lucas in 2023 after he left the Bake Off franchise. Meanwhile, Fielding fans will be pleased to see his return confirmed after the star’s TV future was left in doubt when Apple TV+ recently cancelled the second season of his show The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin over a “health matter”.

Celebrity Bake Off will return to Channel 4 at 7:40pm on Sunday, 16 March.