Great British Bake Off returns to TV screens soon - here’s this week’s theme

The bakers will be judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, with returning host Noel Fielding, and newbie Matt Lucas replacing Sandi Toksvig (Mark Bourdillon/Love Productions)The bakers will be judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, with returning host Noel Fielding, and newbie Matt Lucas replacing Sandi Toksvig (Mark Bourdillon/Love Productions)
The bakers will be judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, with returning host Noel Fielding, and newbie Matt Lucas replacing Sandi Toksvig (Mark Bourdillon/Love Productions)

The Great British Bake Off will soon return to TV screens, following a group of talented bakers facing a different set of themed challenges each week as they compete to be crowned the nation’s best baker.

The programme will be back on Tuesday 22 September - but what will the baking class of 2020 be whisking up this week, and when you can watch them on TV?

Here’s what you need to know.

What will the bakers be baking this week on GBBO?

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The first episode of this year’s Great British Bake Off is cake week, with the bakers set a number of challenges based around all things cake.

The signature challenge, which sees the bakers using their own recipes, is based around the battenburg cake. The technical challenge - which bakers don’t know about until they get into the tent - will be a fruit sponge.

The final Showstopper Challenge of each episode gives the bakers a chance to express their originality and creativity.

When will Bake Off 2020 be on TV?

The first episode of Great British Bake Off 2020 will air on Channel 4 on Tuesday 22 September at 8pm, returning each week at the same time. The episode will be an hour and a half long, ending at 9.30pm.

How was Bake Off filmed during the pandemic?

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The bakers were selected by April of this year, but coronavirus restrictions meant that the filming schedule had to be rewritten, with this year’s series hitting TV screens a month later than it usually does.

The popular baking show is normally filmed over three months, largely taking place at weekends.

However, this year the producers asked the contestants to take six weeks off work and stay in a secure filming location due to coronavirus restrictions.

The show’s new base this year was Down Hall Hotel in Essex, which housed the production team, bakers, hosts, judges, hotel staff and cleaners all together.

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The bakers will be judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, with returning host Noel Fielding, and newbie Matt Lucas replacing Sandi Toksvig.

Who are this year’s contestants?

This year there will be 12 bakers in total.

Dave, 30:A security guard from Hampshire, when Dave is not baking his other interests include cars and taking his dog and cat for a walk.

Hermine, 39:Accountant Hermine was born and raised in Benin, West Africa. She moved to London in 2001 to study.

Laura, 31Laura is a digital manager from Gravesend, Kent. She loves musical theatre and also volunteers for the Samaritans.

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Linda, 61:Linda is a retirement living team leader from East Sussex. She discovered her love of baking during childhood visits to her aunt's dairy farm.

Loriea, 27:A diagnostic radiographer from Durham, Loriea uses baking as a way of celebrating her Caribbean roots.

Lottie 31:Lottie is a pantomime producer from West Sussex who grew up watching cooking shows.

Makbul, 51:An accountant from Greater Manchester, Makbul is a self-taught baker that refined his baking skills through TV shows, and began cooking as a way to support his mum.

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Marc, 51:Marc is a bronze resin sculptor from Cornwall, who started baking bread as a form of therapy after losing his leg in a motorbike accident in 2016.

Mark, 32:A public health project worker from Northern Ireland, Mark lives in Liverpool. His style is influenced by his Irish heritage and also by the flavours of Africa and Asia.

Peter, 20:An accounting and finance student from Edinburgh who likes to include Scottish ingredients in his baking.

Rowan, 55:Rowan is a music teacher from Worcestershire and he enjoys decorating his baked goods with flowers from his garden.

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Sura, 31:A pharmacy dispenser who grew up with influences from Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and India, and loves to experiment with flavours from around the world.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site, Yorkshire Evening Post.

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