Bake Off 2022 is coming and today is the last day to apply

Season 12 cast of The Great British Bake Off

On your marks, get set, apply!

It’s not an exaggeration to say that bingeing The Great British Bake Off was one of the things that helped me get through cancer during the pandemic last fall. Though I was very late to the party, I watched episode after episode to keep my spirits up. Although the world felt dark at the time, the light, love, and delicious food created by the bakers in that tent felt like a magic medicine for my soul. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

This season, I watched each week as soon as the episode came out on Netflix in the U.S. Though I’m now triple vaxxed and cancer-free, the episodes still held that same wonder for me. And I felt that this season was the best so far.

I’m so happy season 2022 will happen. For all those bakers in the U.K., today is the last day to apply to join the 13th series of The Great British Bake Off. If you or someone you know is a Star Baker in the making, then apply now. Applications are due today at 7:59 PM U.K. time.

(And pssst to the production company, if you’d love an expert eater living in New York City to review applications, give me a shout. I’d love to help!)

Some of the main rules of entry

1. You must be aged 16 or above on 1st January 2022.
2. You must be a resident of the UK (including Isle of Man and Channel Islands).
3. You must be able to commit to all the filming days required for the Programme, which are currently expected to be up to 30 days over a 10 week period between April and August 2022.
4. You must not work (nor have recently worked) for or have any business or financial connection with Love Productions or Channel 4 or an affiliate of either. You are not a close relative (for example, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister) or close friend of anyone who is an employee or contractor of Love Productions or Channel 4 or anyone working on, appearing in or connected with the programme.
5. You must not have any NVQ, BTEC and/or any equivalent professional qualification in baking, cooking, food production, food preparation or catering, unless acquired over 10 years ago. You are not employed in a commercial organisation as a baker, cook, or chef. Your livelihood must not derive from commercial baking or cooking in a professional environment (restaurant, hotel, canteen, bakery, shop etc.)
6. You must at all times keep all information about the application process for the programme strictly confidential and must not give anyone any information or material or make any public statement or publish any photographs at any time by any means about the application or production process and/or the Programme or any other person involved in such processes. This confidentiality applies and continues whether or not you are selected to take part in the Programme or remain actively involved in the Programme.
7. If you have not heard from a member of the Love Productions team by phone or email by Friday 4th March 2022, then unfortunately your application has been unsuccessful this time.

Application requirements

1. They want to see your baking! Please include a range of AT LEAST 5 photos of different bakes to show off your baking repertoire. Please include bread, two types of pastry, cake, and biscuits in your photographs.
2. They’re looking for people with a real passion for baking. Don’t worry if you’re not a great writer, just tell them as much as you can about you and your baking. They want to hear what you’re good at, but also what you’re not so good at. They’re not expecting you to be brilliant at everything; this just helps them to get a clearer idea of what kind of baker you are.
3. Please include a recent photograph of yourself.
4. You will also have the option to upload a video clip of yourself of up to 1 minute.
5. Your application will also ask for:
   - personal and professional details
   - your baking style and passion
   - your baking experience with the following: biscuits, cakes, bread, meringue, short crust pastry, puff pastry, hot water crust pastry, choux pastry, and filo pastry

And then the audition / interview process begins for those who make it to the next round!

So if you’ve been home baking in the U.K. and dreaming of having a turn in the tent to show off your skills, now is the time. I hope to see you on the next season! Now go on, off your pop. You’ve got an application to submit!