Rotherham man to feature in The Great British Bake Off

A Rotherham man will be hoping to wow the judges when he takes part in The Great British Bake Off.
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The line-up for the new series of the hit show has just been revealed and it includes a 32-year-old support worker from Rotherham called Dan.

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He is described as a largely self-taught baker but with memories of watching his mother bake a Victoria sponge as a child and his army chef father coming to his school to teach how to bake and plait bread.

The bakers. C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon/PA WireThe bakers. C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon/PA Wire
The bakers. C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon/PA Wire
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He became serious about baking at the age of 21 while trying to impress his girlfriend Laura, who is now his wife, with a themed birthday cake. Dan even made their wedding cake.

He said: "I have been trying for a few years now, so finally I am here. It's absolutely crazy, really amazing, I was so adamant to get on, it's very hard to describe the feelings, all strange and surreal. And then when you are in the tent it all feels normal pretty quickly."

This year’s line-up is the youngest in the show's history - and is comprised of 13 amateur bakers rather than the usual 12.

Baker Dan.Baker Dan.
Baker Dan.

The baker's dozen of hopefuls includes seven people in their 20s while the oldest contestant is 56, with an average age of 31 in the tent.

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In previous years there have been contestants in their 60s and 70s, and the majority of line-ups have had an average age closer to 40.

The aspiring bakers will be competing to impress judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood across a series of challenges where they will be tasked with baking cakes, biscuits and breads among other tasty creations in a bid to be named Bake Off champion.

The upcoming series, which kicks off next week, will be the third to air on Channel 4 after the show parted ways with the BBC.

Among this year's other contestants are a geography teacher, a fashion designer, a HGV driver and a veterinary surgeon.

The new series of The Great British Bake Off, hosted by Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, will begin on Channel 4 on August 27 at 8pm.