Great British Bake Off reveals big change for upcoming series

The Great British Bake Off is set to introduce an innovative audience choice week in its upcoming series, allowing viewers to directly influence the baking challenges.

Contestants will prepare bakes suggested by fans at home, which will then be assessed as normal by judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith.

Viewers can submit their ideas via channel4.com/takepart, with a deadline of 18 January.

“For the first time ever, Prue and I are going to be sharing the reins for this audience choice week,” Hollywood said.

“We want to give our brilliant viewers the chance to help shape the show, and see their ideas come to life in the tent.”

Hollywood said he is “really looking forward to seeing what great ideas come through”.

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“People often come up to me in the street with challenges they wish they could see on the show, well now is the perfect opportunity!”

Dame Prue said: “I’m really looking forward to Bake Off’s very first audience choice week, giving the show’s fans the opportunity to have their say about what bakes they’d like to see in the tent.”

The Great British Bake Off will return to Channel 4 later this year.

In November, Jasmine Mitchell, a 23-year-old medical student from Edinburgh, was crowned the victor of 2025’s series after making the largest cake in Bake Off history.

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Previous winners have included Georgie Grasso, Matty Edgell, Syabira Yusoff and Giuseppe Dell’Anno.

Mitchell said she was overjoyed after her 1.2-metre showstopper led to her season 16 triumph over fellow competitors Tom Arden and Aaron Mountford-Myles.

She received two Hollywood handshakes during her time on the show – and became the second contestant in Bake Off history to receive five Star Baker wins.

Hollywood said that Mitchell was the best winner the show had had “in a while”.