The Great British Bake Off: Christmas and New Year specials’ dates and contestants

The Great British Bake Off has become a quintessential part of our culture and millions tune in to watch it every year.

Apart from brightening up our screens every autumn, it has also become a tradition for the show to offer viewers Christmas and New Year specials with a line-up of celebrities and favourites from past years.

The holiday season is all about cakes, bakes and jolly television programmes, so the specials are always a hit. In this year’s episodes, judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood will assess the contestants’ skills before one is crowned the winner.

Although Matt Lucas recently revealed that he would be leaving as the show’s co-host, the Christmas and new year episodes were filmed before his departure, so he will be in it alongside Noel Fielding.

Here is everything we know about The Great Christmas Bake Off and The Great New Year’s Bake Off.

When is The Great Christmas Bake Off?

The Christmas special of the baking show will air on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 8.25pm.

You can catch it on Channel 4 or stream it on All 4.

Who will be in this year’s The Great Christmas Bake Off?

As always, the Christmas episode will have a star-studded cast competing to be crowned the ultimate baker.

This year will welcome broadcaster Terry Christian, TV presenter Gaby Roslin, actor Tony Robinson, Popworld presenter Miquita Oliver and actress Claire Sweeney.

A trailer for the special hasn’t been released just yet.

When is The Great New Year’s Bake Off?

Like in previous years, this year’s Bake Off New Year special is set to air on January 1, which falls on a Sunday.

You can catch it on Channel 4 at 7.40pm or on demand on All 4 afterwards.

Who will be in this year’s The Great New Year’s Bake Off?

Channel 4 has confirmed that the line-up will consist of four contestants from previous Bake Off seasons.

Lottie Bedlow from the 2020 series confirmed her attendance with an Instagram post, “sucker for punishment me… but what a pleasure it was to go back and bake with these legends. So good to see the crew and team again too - now we know @realmattlucas is leaving, it feels extra special that we had another chance to be in the tent with him and [Noel Fielding]!”

The 2021 finalist Chigs Parmar will also be in the tent and has shared his excitement online, sharing how special it is to be able to compete in the Bake Off tent for the second time.

He will be joined by Manon Legreve from the 2018 series. In an Instagram post, she revealed her feelings, writing: “Wow it was an experience to be back in the tent after 4 years! But what a blast I had, and it was amazing to see the team again.”

The fourth contestant in the running to be crowned the new year’s special’s winner is Anthony Amourdoux from the 2018 series.