The Great British Bake Off Is Back This Autumn – Here’s What We Know So Far

Yes, it’s technically summertime, but the weather has been feeling distinctly autumnal of late, meaning that our thoughts have started turning towards the next season’s TV schedule.

September means the return of many of our favourite reality shows, from Strictly Come Dancing to the brand new season of The Great British Bake Off. 

This time around, there’s been a slight shake up in the Bake Off tent, with a brand new presenter on board following Matt Lucas’ departure at the end of last year. 

Here’s what we know so far about season 14 of the Bake Off…

Who will be hosting the new season? 

After a stint in the Bake Off tent during the third season of the show’s celebrity spin-off for Stand Up To Cancer, Alison Hammond will be joining Noel Fielding as a GBBO host.

She’ll be taking over from Matt Lucas, who announced he’d be leaving the show back in December in order to focus on other ventures, including writing a new project with his Little Britain co-creator David Walliams. 

Alison’s new gig was confirmed earlier this year, when she shared a short video on Instagram, showing her and her new colleagues in cake form. “It’s official!!” she wrote in the caption, adding: “Let’s have it – the cake that is.” 

“Alison is much loved, effortlessly funny and the owner of the best laugh in Britain,” Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said when the news was announced. “She was a huge hit when she appeared on Celebrity Bake Off and we’re thrilled to have her back in the tent.” 

We’ve already seen Alison bring the laughs to This Morning (remember when she even managed to make notorious grump Harrison Ford get the giggles?), so we can’t wait to see what she makes of her new role. 

And who will be judging?

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will be back on the show, providing their expert opinion on the contestants’ bakes and making tough decisions about which amateur baker to eliminate from the competition each week.

It’s Prue’s seventh season on the show, after replacing Mary Berry when the Bake Off jumped ships from the BBC to Channel 4; Paul, meanwhile, has appeared in every season to date.   

When will The Great British Bake Off 2023 be on TV?

Channel 4 are yet to confirm an exact start date for the show, but we can certainly make an educated guess based on previous years.

The Bake Off tends to be filmed over the summer, and each 10 episode season usually begins in the middle of September, typically airing on a Tuesday evening. The final then takes place towards the end of November. 

As well as watching on the night on Channel 4 (to avoid spoilers, of course) you’ll also be able to catch up on the broadcaster’s streaming site; plus, each series usually airs on Netflix in the US (where it’s known as The Great British Baking Show). 

Who will be taking part?

Details of this year’s contestants are under wraps for now, but each season typically features a line-up of 12 skilled bakers of all ages, with different specialisms in the kitchen. Channel 4 tends to release information about new GBBO hopefuls at the start of September, a couple of weeks before the first episode, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Is there a trailer for The Great British Bake Off 2023?

Not yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated as soon as the first teaser clip drops.