GBBO returns on 26 September, names contestants

The Great British Bake Off has announced the contestants for the upcoming season of the show, which premieres at 8:00 p.m. on 26 September in the UK. The contestants, as always, are a fascinating slice of the population, ranging from deli manager Amos to database administrator Dana to science teacher Matty. It’s fun to imagine what kind of bakes each will make as some profess passion for complicated pâtisserie (Dan) while others are more laid back in their approach to baking, like Nicky who compares her bakes to ‘comfy old slippers’.

As usual, US viewers will have to wait a few days to see each week’s episode. The first will be released by Netflix on September 29 at midnight PST. New episodes have historically aired in the UK on Tuesdays and made their way to American viewers on Friday, and Netflix is following that pattern again this year.

With the changes promised by Love Productions, this season of the GBBO should be more like the early seasons that drew a large and devoted audience of viewers. As the temperatures start to get cooler and the days shorter, it’s the perfect time to get fired up about baking so the timing of the premiere could not be better for viewers, although I’ve read a few spoilers about how uncooperative the weather was (again) for the bakers during filming. It might make sense for Love Productions to move the filming to better baking weather instead of the show airing during this time.