The Great British Bake Off might be a staple of British autumnal telly, but in March we get a little taste – get it? – for the main series when the show teams up with Channel 4’s flagship charity broadcast, Stand Up 2 Cancer (SU2C), for a limited edition celebrity version.
The yearly A-list extravaganza is just around the corner now, and so the full line-up has been released in time for us all to start getting excited about it. From past celebrity bakers to start-date and cast, here’s what we know so far about The Great Celebrity Bake Off.
What is Celebrity Bake Off?
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C is a yearly collaboration between Channel 4’s much loved The Great British Bake Off – which moved over from the BBC in 2017 – and its flagship charity broadcast Stand Up 2 Cancer - which airs in Spring with the view to raise funds to ‘speed up life-saving cancer research’. The collab between the two is just one in a month-long programme of special fundraising TV events, which also includes celebrity versions of Gogglebox, The Circle, Hunted and more.
When is Celebrity Bake Off on TV?
Episodes of The Great Celebrity Bake Off normally air weekly in March, with each episode featuring a different cast of celebrities. Instead of the usual show’s format of following a dozen-or-so hopeful bakers as they compete for the Bake Off trophy and face week-by-week eliminations. And there's not long to wait now because the first episode of the five will air on Sunday 19 March at 7.45pm.
Who’s on Celebrity Bake Off 2023?
The team behind this year’s casting has certainly scoured the full gamut of famous faces. Confirmed to be taking part are Friends actor David Schwimmer (who played Ross Gellar, duh), Queen of Reality TV Gemma Collins, and Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson.
Speaking about his decision to take part on the show, David Schwimmer shared that cancer had played a prominent and tragic role in his life revealing, 'I lost a grandmother to cancer, my daughter lost a grandmother to cancer and my sister is a cancer survivor, so it’s important to me. I am just grateful I can help in any small way to raise more awareness.
'I am here to have fun. I am here to raise money for a great charity. It’s a great cause and I happen to be a massive fan of the show.'
Also taking part are (*clears throat*): comedians Ellie Taylor, Judi Love, Rose Matafeo, Mike Wozniak, Lucy Beamont and Tim Key, actors Jessica Hynes, Tom Davis, David Morrisey and Joe Thomas, Olympian Tom Daley and miscellaneous TV personalities Paddy McGuinness, AJ Odudu, Coleen Nolan, the Repair Shop’s Jay Blades, Adele Roberts and Deborah Meaden.
Despite announcing at the end of the last main Bake Off series he would be stepping down from his role as presenter after three years, Matt Lucas is set to make his final Bake Off appearance hosting the SU2C special alongside long-time host Noel Fielding.
The celebs featuring in the first episode are David Schwimmer, Jess Nelson, Rose Matafeo and Tom Davis. On your marks, get set, BAKE!
Who else has been on Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C?
Jesy isn’t the only Little Mixer to take part, with former band mate Jade Thirwall actually winning the show in 2021. Other big names to have previously taken part include Russell Brand, Joe Lycett, Stacey Solomon, Carol Vorderman, Mo Farrah and Ellie Goulding.