Great British Bake Off favourites to return for Christmas special double-header

The Great British Bake Off has captured the hearts of the nation over its eight series since those ovens were first fired up in 2010.

And fans are in for a festive treat this year as old favourites will return for not one, but two Christmas special episodes for the aptly-named The Great Christmas Bake Off.

Former Bake Off favourites are returning for a Christmas special. Copyright [Channel 4]

Eight former stars of the show will make a comeback for the festive double-header, including Selasi Gbormittah, whose oozing of coolness and calmness helped him reach the series seven semi-final.

While Paul Jagger may or may not have the moves like his namesake, the prison governor certainly knows how to create an incredible ‘lion bread’, so viewers will no doubt be eagerly anticipating his Christmas showstopper.

Two people who certainly did have the moves on Bake Off were Val Stones and Sandy Docherty, who will both be returning for the festive show.

Sandy was known for performing her famous ‘wobble dance’ in series six, and Val also loved to dance whilst baking but it sadly couldn’t help her to progress further than week five of series seven.

The bakers will compete on the new-look Channel 4 series for the first time. Copyright [Channel 4]

Another fellow series seven contestant, Benjamina Ebuehi – who loved a flavoursome bake – is also in line to return.

Beca Lyne-Pirkis, who loved the idea of a baking show so much she went on to host her own cookery programme, Becws, on Welsh channel S4C, will be back on our screens on the new-look Bake Off, as will Rav Bansal, who had a penchant for trying out experimental flavours.

Rob Billington – who featured on GBBO’s second series – will be hoping he doesn’t have any more mishaps on the festive edition of Bake Off, like he did when his chocolate cake slid onto the floor during one previous episode.

The eight bakers will be split into two groups of four to compete in separate episodes.

Selasi, Beca, Paul and Val will go up against one another in the first ep, and the second ep will see Benjamina, Rav, Sandy and Rob face-off.

While all eight are returning to a similar format, none of these bakers have ever faced the judging talents of Prue Leith – who judges alongside Paul Hollywood – nor been introduced by co-hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig on the Channel 4 show.

Let’s hope Prue doesn’t give the winner of The Great Christmas Bake Off away!

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