Can you tell a soggy bottom from a well-baked base? Can you perfect a crème pât, curate a coulis, and supply a stupendous showstopper? If you can do all that under the pressure of timers and cameras, you might be worthy of a place on The Great British Bake Off. Wondering how to get your bakes onto the gingham altar? Let’s find out.
Since its debut in 2010, The Great British Bake Off has gone on an annual search for the best amateur baker, and won viewers over with its combination of cake, humour, and very well-mannered competition. Now in its 16th series, judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith present the 12 amateur bakers with assorted challenges in three rounds: the signature bake, the technical bake, and the showstopper.
Billed as the ultimate baking battle, the show’s gentle tone is seen as very British. Everyone may want to receive a revered Hollywood Handshake, but there’s absolutely no backstabbing in the Bake Off tent. Bakers come from all over the UK, reflecting all of Britain’s many communities and cooking styles. Add to that presenters Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, who always come ready with a joke or a hug, and you’ve got the recipe for a hit show.
The show is currently looking for its next batch of bakers. Applicants can apply directly via Mandy here. (You can also apply via the website.)
Applicants should be over 16 years old and have a “real passion for baking.” The application form is relatively long, and you’ll be expected to include at least five photos of different bakes you’ve completed.
Season 4 contestant Ali Imdad told Business Insider that questions asked included: “How is your bread-baking ability?,” “What’s your signature bake?,” and “What’s your weakness?” “They’re not just trying to see your actual baking ability,” he said. “They’re also wanting to see your charisma and personality.”
At this stage you’ll also be asked to upload a video clip of yourself, up to one minute long. This is optional, but a chance to prove you’re one of the “lively characters that are comfortable being filmed” they’re looking for.
The next step is a phone interview. Antony Amourdoux, a Season 9 contestant, told Business Insider he was asked very technical questions such as the temperatures of different types of meringue.
If you get through this stage, you’ll be invited to bake in person for the show’s staff. If you pass that, it’s screen test time, which involves baking under pressure and being interviewed while you cook. After that, you’ll be interviewed by a psychologist, who will assess your mental capacity for dealing with the kind of public exposure a show like Bake Off brings. “I think there are easily eight rounds of interviews in this entire process,” Amourdoux said. “It isn’t easy to get on that show.”
It’s definitely not easy to get onto Bake Off, but the post-show careers of Nadiya Hussain, John Whaite, and Ruby Tandoh have shown it can be worth it. If you think you and your bakes can rise to the occasion, it’s a good idea to get practising and prepping. Check out the below guides to help you prepare for taking your baking from the stove to the screen.
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