The Great British Bake Off will return on 22 September with Nigella Lawson installed as a new judge, a change critics say refreshes the show’s tone. Lawson takes over from Dame Prue Leith, who said she was leaving the series to "work less and play more." The opening episode was screened for critics earlier this week and reviewers highlighted Lawson’s presence as a defining element of the launch.
The Story in Pictures
Some critics singled out her manner and lines. The Telegraph described her as "more delectable than anything the contestants could whip up in a showstopper challenge," while the Times wrote that "lashings of Nigella Lawson help everyone rise to the occasion." Ben Dowell of the Times excerpted one of Lawson’s first remarks, "I want it really sumptuous," and concluded, "Bake Off has found a new star." Anita Singh in The Telegraph noted Lawson’s social media appeal and reproduced several of her lines from the episode, including "The flavours are giving me a lot of pleasure," "I like a bit of goo," and "I’m hoping to find that wonderful frisson."
Alongside the judging change, Channel 4 confirmed the contestants for series 17, a mix of ages and backgrounds. The lineup includes Clara, 24, a marketing graduate originally from Portugal who began baking two years ago; Connie, 63, an NHS hospital discharge lead known as "the cake lady" who also runs a London music centre with her husband Myke; and Danni, 25, an HGV service centre administrator from Dorset who forages for ingredients and draws decorating ideas from video games and animation.
Other hopefuls are Gabe, 32, an artist, drag king and costume designer from the West Midlands who calls himself the "daddy of Birmingham drag" and prefers savoury bakes; Gary, 67, a retired garment technologist living with his wife Donna and a menagerie on their countryside property; and Molly, 31, a London accessibility coordinator who favours traditional flavours and follows Formula 1 closely. Moyin, 22, a political economy student and competitive sprinter, says he uses flavours inspired by his Nigerian heritage, and Mo, 21, a law student from the West Midlands, blends Asian flavours with British classics.
The cast also features Nikki, 50, an advertising post-producer with a colourful baking style; Shannon, 29, a Gloucestershire project planner who learned to bake from her nan; Tom, 25, a west Yorkshire hairdresser famous for salted caramel brownies; and Yannis, 28, a paediatric doctor from London who wants to challenge stereotypes about Bangladeshi men in the kitchen. The series’ broadcast date remains 22 September, following the early critic screenings.
