Bake Off confirms 22 September return as Nigella Lawson joins judging panel and a drag king enters the tent
The Bake Off returns to Channel 4 this month (Channel 4)
The Great British Bake Off will return to Channel 4 at 8pm on 22 September, with Nigella Lawson joining the judging panel for her first series and a season 17 cast that includes a drag king contestant.
The new run features 12 amateur bakers aged 21 to 67. Lawson joins returning judge Paul Hollywood, with Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond back as hosts. The full line-up was confirmed as the season 17 contestants were revealed, including a paediatric doctor (Yannis) and a law student (Mo).
One of the standout names is Gabe, described as an artist and drag king who performs as Blü Romantic and calls themself the “daddy of Birmingham drag”. A separate cast guide also describes Gabe as performing under the drag king stage name of Blu Romantic.
Other contestants include Connie, 63, an NHS hospital discharge lead from London, and Gary, 67, a retired garment technologist from Nottinghamshire.
Nigella Lawson joins the tent
Prue Leith announced in January 2026 that she would be stepping down from the show. She said: “I’m 86 for goodness sake!” Lawson was later announced as her replacement, ahead of the series returning on 22 September.
The cast’s personal stories are set to be part of the appeal. Yannis says he is “challenging the stigma that Bangladeshi men don’t belong in the kitchen, one pastry at a time”. Lawson’s arrival has also fuelled plenty of online excitement, including round-ups of Nigella Lawson’s campest innuendos and the moment she revealed her drag name during a Christmas special.
What the bakers have said
Some contestants have already shared their first impressions of Lawson in the tent. Danni said: “It was so nice to get to see Nigella walk into the tent – she had such a sense of wonder about her when she took her place, and it felt so right for her to be there.”
Gabe also spoke about meeting Hammond, saying: “I have met Alison before, she famously smacked my bum, live on Channel 4 while I was in drag on Late Night Lycett, so I was excited to take our relationship to the next level”.
