The Great Celebrity Bake Off is back on our screens tonight (May 10) with a repeat episode, and it’s only the one with newly-pregnant Johanna Konta taking on the baking challenge.
But how much do we really know about the show?
If, like us, you love Bake Off in all its forms, you’ll be looking forward to seeing Konta getting messy again as much as we are.
The show takes on a completely different feel when celebs are involved, as Alex Jones’ exploding mixer will attest.
So how much do we really know about the Great Celebrity Bake Off?
Bake Off star Johanna Konta announces pregnancy
Retired tennis ace Konta, 30, announced today that she’s expecting a bundle of joy, via a supersweet Instagram post.
Read more: Stacey Solomons replaces Tom Allen on Bake Off: The Professionals as fans fuming
Pictured looking relaxed and hugging her bump, Konta captioned the image: “Busy baking my own little muffin right now.”
The former British Number One married her long-term partner Jackson Wade in December 2021, following a surprise proposal on her 30th birthday.
Why is it in a tent?
While a massive, plastic marquee full of raging ovens that’s only used in the height of summer might seem like a masterclass in torture, there’s a very good reason for Celeb Bake Off’s unique setup.
How does the Great Celebrity Bake Off work?
If you’re familiar with the OG series, otherwise known as The Great British Bake Off, you’re probably well aware of the format.
Celebs, though, are pretty busy.
So, where regular contestants spend weeks proving their baking prowess over several episodes, famous types have just one show to prove to Paul Hollywood that they know their dough from their doughnuts.
The celebs still have to complete three tough rounds to determine that week’s best baker.
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That means a signature bake, a technical task set by either Paul Hollywood or Prue Leith, and a spectacular Showstopper, often with little to no previous baking, and in some cases, kitchen experience.
Why is it in a tent?
While a massive, plastic marquee full of raging ovens that’s only used in the height of summer might seem like a masterclass in torture, there’s a very good reason for Celeb Bake Off’s unique setup.
Is there anything more beautifully British than a village fete? The bunting, fresh cakes, and glorious surroundings remind us all how lucky we are.
And that’s exactly what the show is going for.
The look and feel of the perfect village fete, but with the added peril of cakes that won’t rise and your baked Alaska being thrown in the bin. That’s Bake Off.
Although there’s a very good chance the production team had not bargained for the sweltering temperatures that come with constant baking in 80-degree heat and unbroken sunshine.
Are Celebrity Bake Off episodes filmed in one day?
Well, the short answer is: Probably.
Production information is pretty hush-hush where the celebs are concerned, most likely to stop us from showing up and helping ourselves to anything James McAvoy might have touched.
Regular Bake Off contestants get a full weekend to shoot an episode, with Sunday given entirely to producing the perfect Showstopper.
But given how busy lots of celebs can be, and that they’re not really in it for the baking, it’s easy to see how one day in the tent is enough for a lifetime.
Particularly if you happen to be James Acaster. Bless.
Where do they film Celebrity Bake Off?
Over the course of the entire run, the tent has pitched up in many a beautiful British location.
The first series saw the tent outside London’s Fulham Palace, and since then it’s been in Somerset, Berkshire, and Essex.
During the pandemic, production moved to Down Hall Spa in Bishop Stortford. That way, everyone involved could bubble up for the course of the series.
The celeb version, though, takes place in the grounds around Pinewood Studios, known as Black Country Park.
Why do the celebs put themselves through it?
The idea of being suffering under Hollywood’s glare for hours would put most people off appearing on the show. But for the celebs, their episodes aren’t just about baking.
As part of Stand Up 2 Cancer’s fight against cancer, the show help to raise awareness, money, and, ultimately inspires us all to stand up.
Celeb Bake Off For SU2C is on Channel 4 tonight at 8pm. Catch up with the whole series on All4.
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