Bake Off: The Professionals 2023 has an exciting new addition to the cast who will oversee a line-up of pro bakers.
This year, the Channel 4 baking series welcomes Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Taylor as co-host where she'll be joining The Great British Bake Off alumni Liam Charles.
Speaking about taking the job, she told Channel 4: "They said: ‘Would you like the job?’ I said: ‘Is there cake? Can I eat it? Yes, please.’ It was a no-brainer. It’s a dream gig. Me and my husband watch the main Bake Off together and, although I hadn’t regularly watched Bake Off: The Professionals, I’d seen bits.
"I knew it’d be a pleasure to work on and it was. Cherish and Benoit are lovely, Liam’s a delight and the chefs are brilliant. And I've never got to go to work with a Tupperware I could fill up with nice food before. That was a real treat."
Here's everything you need to know as Bake Off: The Professionals returns...
Bake Off: The Professionals 2023 release date
Bake Off: The Professionals returns at 8 pm on Tuesday, July 4. Episodes will be available on demand via the Channel 4 website.
What should we expect from Bake Off: The Professionals 2023?
Channel 4 has teased the first episode, saying: "First up, each group of teams face a fiendish secret challenge: either Opera aux Fruit x 36 or individual Prinsesstårta x 36 and Chocolate Amenity. Then, the duos must reinvent those family favourites bread and butter pudding or Banoffee pie in a stunning showpiece."
So it looks like some classics will be making an appearance as well as some more complex bakes, but we'll have to wait patiently to find out more!
Bake Off: The Professionals 2023 judges
Once again Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden are back to put the bakers through their paces and they both know a thing or two about desserts, as they're experts in the field!
Benoit is Chef Pâtissier at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Cherish is the former Executive Pastry Chef of the Pan Pacific London Hotel.
Speaking about working together and making tough decisions, Cherish told Channel 4: "We agree to disagree, but we always come to the right decision. Who is doing the right thing? Who is using the right techniques?
"Who breaks the boundaries? There were times it was neck and neck. It was so close we had to go back and taste the pastry a couple of times. We have to deconstruct everything."
Bake Off: The Professionals 2023 contestants
According to Channel 4, we've got an interesting mix of professional bakers from all over the UK who are competing in teams of two to try and impress the judges.
Once again they'll be assigned different colours to represent their team and go head-to-head in a number of challenges, hoping to emerge as baking victors in the all-important final.
Speaking about the new contestants, Channel 4 teased: "Our talented twosomes hail from across the UK including Norfolk, Essex, Birmingham and Darlington. There are teams from luxury hotels such as The Dorchester, The Landmark and St. James’ Court in London and Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire. There are patisserie pairs from Manchester’s Bisou Bisou, Wigan’s Harwoods and London’s Meraki Baking Studio. And contract caterers, Lexington Catering."
Is there a trailer?
We don't have a trailer for Bake Off: The Professionals yet.
