When does The Great British Bake Off start? 2021 date for latest Channel 4 series and who are the judges?

Host and comedian Matt Lucas revealed in May that the contestants and judges would be joining him in the tent for another series
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It’s the nation’s most loved baking show, best served with a cuppa. The Great British Bake Off is back!

The famous white tent returned with a dozen eager bakers, as Channel 4 producers worked to ensure fans of GBBO got their cake and ate it too.

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The judges and hosts have been teasing this year’s show on social media, and we can’t wait to see another Hollywood handshake.

So, when does the latest series begin and who will return to the tent to judge the soggy bottoms and bouncy buns of a dozen new contestants? This is what we know so far.

When is The Great British Bake Off back on TV?

GBBO 2021 bgean on Tuesday, 21 September, it airs weekly on Tuesdays at 9pm on Channel 4.

Ordinarily, GBBO begins at the end of August and runs for ten weeks before culminating in a showstopping final where the top three contestants bake an array of delicious cakes, bakes and pastries.

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In 2020, the series began on 22 September due to a later start because of Covid restrictions.

In 2019, it began on 29 August and over the past 11 years of the show, almost all series have begun in the third week of this month so why hasn’t it been announced yet?

Who are the judges on GBBO 2021?

Fans of the show will agree that GBBO is nothing without the witty puns of the hosts - previously, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc presented the show for the BBC.

In recent years, former Little Britain star Matt Lucas has been the front-man alongside Noel Fielding.

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In May, Lucas told Lorraine Kelly that filming for this year’s series was beginning imminently and teased that he would be returning with judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

"We’re starting [filming] very soon," he said,"like last year we’re going into a bubble. All self-isolating and getting tested and then we’re going into Covid-free bubble, so we can all taste each other’s bakes and there can be handshakes and all sorts."

Hollywood, the only original GBBO member to still be with the show, confirmed that filiming had begun by July.

On July 11, he posted a photo on his Instagram of the show’s iconic tent, captioned: "After all the disappointment, I need the tent to cheer me up, hello old friend #comingverysoon x."

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As filming usually lasts about six weeks, the winner will have been crowned on 16 August.

Fans of Fielding’s bright outfits and witty commentary will also be pleased to know that he will also be returning for the new series, having missed out on the Christmas

Where can I watch GBBO outside of the UK?

As The Great British Bake Off is now a US favourite, Netflix has revealed that audiences in America will have access to the upcoming series within weeks of it airing in the UK.

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