The Great British Bake Off 2021 start date and everything you need to know

Cake enthusiasts, it’s time to get the apron out—The Great British Bake Off 2021 is back on our screens from 21st September 2021!

The popular culinary program is set to hit our screens for a highly-anticipated 12th season after a year-long hiatus and, needless to say, our tummies are already rumbling with excitement. 

Known for its A-list hosts, lovable contestants, and of course, those iconic Great British Bake-Off recipes, the Channel 4 reality show has become unmissable entertainment for households across the UK ever since it premiered back in 2010. 

Over a decade later, Bake Off has earned the unofficial title of Britain’s favorite guilty pleasure—and it looks like the nation is about the indulge in its gooey goodness yet again. From its mysterious release date to its lineup of judges, to the Bake Off 2021 contestants, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming season. 

When does The Great British Bake Off 2021 start?

Channel 4 has confirmed that The Great British Bake Off 2021 will start on Tuesday September 21 at 8 pm.

The show will then continue every Tuesday night at the same time for 10 weeks, concluding on Tuesday, November 23, 2021.

Which hosts are returning to The Great British Bake Off 2021? 

Fans of The Great British Bake Off tune in just as much for the hosts as they do for the contestants, and with such stellar personalities, it’s easy to see why. 

Bake Off 2021 will see the hilarious Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas reprise their roles as co-presenters, while veteran judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will also be back to offer contestants their expert feedback. 

Paul even released a teaser photo for Season 12 of himself with his three co-stars holding—or should we say, balancing?—an array of delectable treats, much to the delight of Bake-Off's loyal fans. It looks like the quartet will be serving up their classic antics alongside this year’s batch of episodes—and we’re ready to gobble it up. 

Who will be in the cast of The Great British Bake Off 2021? 

The Great British Bake Off 2021 contestants were announced just a week before the show began airing. The line up is as follows:

• Amanda, 56, London 
• Chigs, 40, Leicestershire 
• Crystelle, 26, London 
• Freya, 19, North Yorkshire 
• George, 34, London 
• Giuseppe, 45, Bristol 
• Jairzeno, 51, London 
• Jurgen, 56, Sussex
• Lizzie, 28, Liverpool 
• Maggie, 70, Dorset 
• Rochica, 27, Birmingham 
• Tom, 28, Kent 

Although not too much is known about their personalities, or their baking prowess just yet, previous seasons of the show suggest that fans can look forward to an impressive lineup of talented amateur cooks in The Great British Bake Off 2021. 

 Where was The Great British Bake Off 2021 filmed? 

Like almost every other TV program on the planet this year, The Great British Bake Off’s production schedule was heavily impacted by the pandemic. 

The GBBO team always film during the summer and wrap production before the show debuts in the Autumn. This is an unusual format for a competition show as it means that the winner of the 2021 show already knows they have won.

Channel 4 reportedly created a COVID-19 bubble by hiring out the luxurious Down Hall Hotel in Essex for six weeks, to minimize the chances of cast and crew contracting the virus during filming.  The show adopted a similar strategy when they filmed the 2020 show during the pandemic last year.

According to insiders, the 2021 experience was a total blast, with both staff and talent enjoying parties on an almost nightly basis. Now that sounds like our kind of quarantine!