A drag king and paediatric doctor among cast joining Great British Bake Off tent

The hit Channel 4 baking show is set to return to screens later this month with a brand new cast of 12 amateur bakers. Sign up to our Ireland Live newsletter Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Ireland Live within your account. A drag king and paediatric doctor are among the cast joining the tent for the new season of the Great British Bake Off. The hit Channel 4 baking show is set to return to screens later this month with a brand new cast of 12 amateur bakers who will be put to the test in a bid to be crowned the 2026 champion. The bakers will be judged by TV cook Nigella Lawson, who was announced earlier this year as a new judge on the programme, after Dame Prue Leith said she was stepping down after nine series. TV cook Paul Hollywood will also return as a judge along with Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond as the series' presenters. Among the new bakers joining the series is 32-year-old artist and drag king, Gabe from Grimsby who alongside producing theatre shows, performs as their drag persona Blue Romantic. Gabe currently lives in the West Midlands with their partners, Ellis and Tyler and their two sausage dogs Dill and Sage. They said: 'I have watched every season of Bake Off and walking into the tent was unreal. 'It felt like I was walking into a national legacy and fever dream combined. Truly such an honour. A 'pinch me' moment. 'Calming my nerves while doing a shot of tequila with Nigella may have happened.' They are joined by 28-year-old paediatric doctor Yannis, who said stepping into the tent felt like 'walking into my TV screen'. Baking for Lawson was an 'incredibly special' moment for the doctor who said he had received one of her recipe books while at University and cited her books as being part of what made him 'fall deeper in love with baking'. 'Never in a million years did I imagine that a few years later I'd be standing in the Bake Off tent, having her judge my bakes and to tell her just how much she'd inspired me,' he added. 'It was a real full-circle moment!' The new series will also see project planner Shannon, 29, from Bristol, join the tent along with hairdresser Tom, 25, and law student Mo, 21. Describing her fellow bakers, Nikki, 50, an advertising post-producer from London said they were 'wild, hilarious and incredibly kind' adding that the series was a 'heart-warming' and 'once-in-a-lifetime' adventure. The 17th series will also feature 31-year-old accessibility coordinator Molly from London, student Moyin, 22, from Essex and retired garment technologist Gary, 67, from Chesterfield who discovered his love of baking later in life after buying his first cookbook five years ago. He said he felt emotional and in 'disbelief' when he found out that he got a spot on Bake Off, adding that it took him 'a few days to believe I actually got picked'. The series line-up is completed by marketing graduate Clara, 24, from Aveiro in Portugal, NHS hospital discharge lead Connie, 63, and administrator Danni, 25 from Dorset. The new series of Bake Off will air on September 22 at 8pm on Channel 4.