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‘Great British Bake Off’ 2016 Contestants Revealed: Meet The Bakers Hoping To Impress Mary Berry And Paul Hollywood

Whisks at the ready.
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By 

Head of Entertainment, HuffPost UK

Summer is almost over, which can only mean one thing - ‘The Great British Bake Off’ is about to return to our screens.

We’re just days away from an innuendo-filled few months of soggy bottoms, stiff peaks and hot baps, when 12 amateur bakers will don their aprons for the seventh series.

Now this year’s contestants have finally been revealed and include a pastor, a teacher, a hairdresser, a student, a garden designer and a nurse.

They’ll all be hoping to do enough to impress judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood and be crowned ‘Bake Off’ champ 2016.

Last year’s winner Nadiya Hussain has enjoyed huge success since she won the competition and went on to score her own newspaper column and release her own cookbook.

She also had the honour of baking a (wonky) cake for the Queen’s 90th birthday and is about to be the subject of her very own documentary, the brilliantly titled ‘Chronicles Of Nadiya’.

Paul Hollywood has admitted that Nadiya’s huge success has piled even more pressure onto this year’s crop of hopefuls.

“Nadiya went to a whole new level... it put pressure on them more,” he said.

“I think we felt it in the tents as well. They started quite nervously, but once they settled down they got into it.”

Mary Berry added: “They know the standard that it is, which is now pretty high. And I think they were slower to bond this year than they were in the past.”

So it’s not just about winning the competition, these days the stakes (and the rewards) are even higher.

Let’s meet the class of 2016...

Great British Bake Off 2016
Great British Bake Off 2016(01 of33)
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Candice
Candice, 31, was inspired to bake by her grandmother and hopes to follow in her footsteps - aiming to be "even half the lady she was".She grew up in the pubs her parents ran and now lives in Bedfordshire.She currently works in pastoral care and PE teaching at a secondary school. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(02 of33)
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Michael
Michael's Cypriot heritage is evident in his baking, as he loves to make Greek pastries with his grandmother.The 20-year-old, from London, is currently studying politics and economics in Durham.He may shine in the Showstopper round as he enjoys making "big grand cakes" and combining unusual flavours. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(03 of33)
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Val
Former primary school head teacher Val can apparently make classics with her eyes closed.The 66-year-old works two days a week and enjoys the rest of the time baking at her home in Yeovil, Somerset.She could bring a more unusual touch to the tent as she likes to do aerobics in her kitchen while waiting for her jams to boil. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(04 of33)
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Lee
Lee is the oldest contestant in this year's competition.The 67-year-old started his career as a builder before becoming a pastor in the 1980s.The Bolton resident enjoys traditional flavours such as hazelnut, vanilla and chocolate. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(05 of33)
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Louise
Originally from Merthyr Tydfil, Louise now works as a hairdresser in Cardiff and has developed her love of baking over the last 10 years.She is sure to have the stamina for long days in the tent as she loves mountain walks and has completed a four-day trek in the Andes.The 46-year-old loves to decorate her cakes with elaborate designs. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(06 of33)
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Andrew
Originally from Northern Ireland, Andrew lives with friends in Derby and works as an aerospace engineer for Rolls-Royce, designing jet engines.His background could lead to some very precise and beautiful bakes, with creations including a baguette Concorde.The 25-year-old is also likely to make use of the secret recipes passed down by his mother and grandmother. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(07 of33)
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Jane
Jane, 61, will be hoping to use her long family history of making breads and cakes (her grandfather owned a bakery) as she bids to become champion.The garden designer, from Beckenham, south-east London, likes to start early, getting her bread in the oven at 5am most mornings.Viewers can expect Jane to perform strongly in the technical challenges as she knows her classic cakes, biscuits and pastries. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(08 of33)
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Benjamina
The 23-year-old teaching assistant, who lives in south London, recently gained a first in economics and is known as a straight-A student.She could be her own strongest critic as she is not happy when things do not turn out right.She lives at home with her brother and twin sister, who is her other big critic and regularly gives her feedback on her creations. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(09 of33)
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Tom
Tom grew up in Rochdale but now lives in east London with his wife Kate.Having lost 30kg, he enjoys his bakes but believes in eating them in moderation.The 26-year-old also impressively makes his own cheese and salami from scratch.
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Great British Bake Off 2016(10 of33)
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Kate
The farmer's daughter has had a passion for baking since she was a child and loves using seasonal fruits which she gathers from her parents' garden.The 37-year-old nurse says she thrives on nurturing others so she could be a comforting figure in the tent.Sugar craft is her particular strength. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(11 of33)
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Selasi
Originally from Ghana, Selasi moved to the UK with his family 15 years ago.He works long hours as a client service associate in the finance industry but still finds time to bake and regularly impresses colleagues with his cupcakes.The 30-year-old is also a basketball and motorbike enthusiast. (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(12 of33)
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Rav
Rav, from Erith in Kent, has a job supporting students at City University London and volunteers for charities such as Victim Support.He lives with his parents and enjoys using unusual ingredients, taking inspiration from far eastern cuisine and vegan baking.The 28-year-old thinks he has a good sense of flavour combinations, "even if they might seem strange to others". (credit:BBC)
Great British Bake Off 2016(13 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(14 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(15 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(16 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(17 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(18 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(19 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(20 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(21 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(22 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(23 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(24 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(25 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(26 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(27 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(28 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(29 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(30 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(31 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(32 of33)
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Great British Bake Off 2016(33 of33)
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‘The Great British Bake Off’ returns to BBC One on 24 August at 8pm. It will be followed at 9pm by ‘The Chronicles Of Nadiya’.

Before You Go

'Great British Bake Off': Where Are They Now?
Edd Kimber (winner, 2010)(01 of11)
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Fresh from being crowned the winner of the first ever ‘Bake Off’, Ed quit his day job as a debt collector for Yorkshire Bank (which he hated) to follow his baking dream with a job in Raymond Blanc’s restaurant Le Manoir as a pastry chef (what else?). He’s gone on to carve himself a career as a food writer with articles appearing in BBC Good Food magazine and on his blog theboywhobakes.co.uk. In 2011 he published his first cookbook, ran a pop-up bakery in Fortnum & Mason and is also the resident baker on ‘The Alan Titchmarsh Show’. “Bake Off changed [my life] in the most amazing way. It allowed me to follow my passion and fulfil my dreams in a way I never imagined,” he said recently. (credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Jo Wheatley (winner, 2011)(02 of11)
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After winning the second series of ‘Bake Off’, Jo started her own cooking school. Based at her home in Essex, Jo teaches classes on home-baking such as bread making and cupcake decorating. She has also published two cookbooks, ‘A Passion For Cooking’ and ‘Home Baking’ and is a regular food columnist for The Sun and Sainsbury’s Magazine.
John Whaite (winner, 2012)(03 of11)
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John hasn’t stopped working since winning series three. As well as publishing two cookbooks, ‘John Whaites Bakes’ and John Whaites Bakes At Home’, he earned a patisserie diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, launched his own online chocolate shop The Hungry Dog Artisan Chocolates and is set to launch his own cookery school, John Whaite’s Kitchen. On top of all that he’s also the resident baker on Lorraine Kelly’s ITV morning show. Phew! (credit:Rex)
Frances Quinn (winner, 2013)(04 of11)
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Frances, who won the fourth series in 2013, is best remembered for her highly creative designs and has gone on to share her skills at shows and festivals around the UK. Many of her recipes have also appeared in newspapers and magazines and she’s also popped up on many TV and radio shows. Her first book ‘Quinntessential Baking’ is set to be published on 27 August and promises to be "a treasure trove of inspirational ideas to bring a spark of creativity and a teaspoon of wonder into your kitchen." (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Nancy Birtwhistle (winner, 2014)(05 of11)
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Former GP surgery manager Nancy, who was crowned champion at the end of last year’s series, has gone on to launch her own baking website www.nancybirtwhistle.co.uk where she shares receipes with fans. The 60-year-old is also in demand for everything from cookery demonstrations to after-dinner speaking and is currently writing an encyclopedia of baking. (credit:BBC)
Mary-Anne Boermans (2011)(06 of11)
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Mary-Anne was pipped to the post in the 2011 final but has gone on to launch her own blog timetocookonline.com and is about to opublish her very first book ‘Great British Cakes’ which has already had mary berry’s seal of approval, saying it was ‘brilliantly researched from a true foodie’.
James Morton (2012)(07 of11)
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After coming second on the third series, Glaswegian James has amassed a huge fanbase thanks to his baking blog and regular column in the Sunday Mail newspaper. He’s also had two books published, the first of which, ‘Brilliant Bread’, won the Guild of Food Writers award for Best Cookbook in 2014. Earlier this year he beat Michel Roux Jr to win Radio Times Food Champion but despite his baking success he is still studying to become a doctor at the University of Glasgow. (credit:Jame Morton/Twitter)
Ruby Tandoh (2013)(08 of11)
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She might not have won the 2013 series but Ruby has just been voted Bake Off’s favourite ever contestant by readers of Radio Times. Since appearing on the show, Ruby has written a book called ‘Crumb’ and recorded her own documentary for Radio 4. She also has her own blog rubyandthekitchen.co.uk and writes a weekly recipe column for The Guardian. In April this year she announced she was gay on Twitter and also hit back at the trolls who suggested there was chemistry between her and judge Paul Hollywood. She tweeted: “For those who thought I fancied Paul Hollywood or that I'd ever bang him to get ahead - JOKE'S ON YOU, YOU MASSIVE SHITTING MISOGYNISTS.” (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Howard Middleton (2013)(09 of11)
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Howard proved to be an instant hit with ‘Bake Off’ viewers when he appeared on the 2013 series. The council worker, who provided some of the most memorable moments (remember custard-gate? Or the missing trifle?), is set to publish his first book ‘Delicious Gluten-Free Baking’ in September. Speaking about his time on the show recently, he said: “My greatest memory is having met such a wonderful bunch of people and it is one of those things that continues. It exists outside of that and that is a pleasure really.” (credit:Chris Radburn/PA Archive)
Martha Collison (2014) (10 of11)
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At just 17 years old, Martha was the youngest ever contestant to appear on ‘Bake Off’, but despite her years, she went on to reach the quarter finals. So it’s no surprise that since appearing on the show, Martha has not only launched her own successful baking blog but has also landed herself a column in the Waitrose Weekend newspaper, alongside the likes of Pippa Middleton, Clare Balding, and Mariella Frostrup. On top of this, she spent her half-term break in Cambodia as an ambassador for the Tearfund charity where she visited victims of child trafficking and held baking workshops with them. (credit:BBC)
Richard Burr (2014)(11 of11)
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Richard was an early favourite to win last year’s ‘Bake Off’ but despite not walking away with the title he’s gone on to enjoy success outside of his building business. As well as his popular blog, richardburr.london, he regularly appears at food festivals around the country and has just published his first book, ‘B.I.Y. Bake It Yourself’ (see what they did there?). (credit:BBC)
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