Bake Off: The Professionals 2023 - Who are the hosts and judges?

The crème de la crème of patisserie talent is set to battle it out once more in Bake Off: The Professionals, which returns tonight (Tuesday) with a new host.

But who will it star, how does the contest work and when can you watch it?

Here's all you need to know about Bake Off: The Professionals 2023, including hosts, judges and air date.

When is Bake Off: The Professionals on TV?

Season six of the Bake Off spin-off that sees professional chefs compete to win the champion's title begins tonight, Tuesday 4 July.

It will air on Channel 4 at 9pm, with episodes going out weekly.

Who is hosting Bake Off: The Professionals?

The big news for Bake Off Pros fans is that there's yet another change to the hosting line-up.

Stacey Solomon joined the show last year, but only stuck around for one series and has now been replaced by Ted Lasso star and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ellie Taylor.

She said: "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. 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."

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Former Bake Off contestant Liam Charles returns for his sixth series as host and he couldn't be more thrilled with his new co-star, describing his partnership with Taylor as "like Rooney and Ronaldo playing up front for Man United again".

Charles said that his experience on Bake Off and Taylor's on Strictly makes for a dream combination: "We’ve been on both sides, innit? When we have to talk to them in the last 20 minutes and they're running around to finish off the showpiece… Well, Ellie and I know how to read the situation better in comparison to someone that hasn't been in a competition show."

What happened to Stacey Solomon?

Although Stacey Solomon loved her time with Bake Off: The Professionals, it was short-lived as she only hosted one series.

In May, the show announced that Taylor would be stepping in instead and although they didn't address why Solomon was being replaced, she gave a clear indication herself.

Solomon, who gave birth to her fifth child Belle in February, posted after the announcement: "So excited to watch this! @EllieJaneTaylor @BritishBakeOff it’s going to be amazing! Can’t believe I missed out on chocolate week and opted for giving birth instead."

Who are the judges?

Familiar faces are back for the judging line-up as Cherish Finden and Benoit Blin step back into the kitchen to offer their expertise.

Talking about her popularity as the most exacting judge, Finden shared: "They want to see my ruler! I get people messaging me: When are you going to bring your ruler out? When are you going to say ‘Cha la la’? When are you going to say ‘Love it. love it, love it!’?"

Blin added that the standard of contestants was better than ever: "When we’re doing our first auditions, you assume the pastry industry in this country is kind of small and perhaps there will not be enough pastry chefs willing to put in the effort and time to compete at that level.

"And we've been wrong eight times so far. The pastry industry is getting bigger and more varied. Long may it continue."

How does Bake Off: The Professionals work?

Unlike The Great British Bake Off, the pro version sees bakers compete in teams as patisserie chefs who work together in professional kitchens take on the challenges.

However, just like the main series, one team will be knocked out each week - although they complete two tasks per episode instead of three.

The tasks are the miniatures challenge and the showpiece challenge, which each week are set on a different theme to give bakers the chance to show off their skills.

In this year's contest, themes include Safari, Archaeology, Land of the Giants, Life of Amphibians and Reptiles and Mad Science.

Look out for the Take Flight week, where for the first time ever, teams will have to create a fully suspended showpiece.

Bake Off: The Professionals returns on Tuesday, 4 July at 9pm on Channel 4.