Who are the 12 bakers stepping into The Great British Bake Off tent?

– Clara, 24 Hailing from Aveiro in Portugal, the marketing graduate who lives in Hertfordshire began baking cakes two years ago as a creative outlet, starting off with Portuguese classics such as the Tarte de Nata. She loves creating colourful designs that balance fresh and fruity flavours in a baking style she would describe as 'messy, creative and mindful'. Clara, one of the bakers on The Great British Bake Off series 17 (Patch Dolan/Channel 4/Love Productions/PA) – Connie, 63 Known as 'the cake lady', Connie, an NHS hospital discharge lead who lives in London, has been a passionate baker for her whole life, using it as a way to unwind after a busy day. Along with working in the NHS she also runs a music centre in London with her husband Myke where she will try out her new recipes on the students. Her baking style is 'adventurous, fun and nostalgic' and she is best known for making treats flavoured with rum fruit, lemon or lavender, adding that she always keeps a jar of fruit soaking in rum, wine and cinnamon. – Danni, 25 The Dorset-based HGV service centre administrator often explores flavours through their baking, often using foraged finds such as magnolia, chestnut and dandelion and combining them with something such as ube/purple yam or red bean paste. The tech enthusiast said their baking style is 'chaos, chaos, chaos' and they often take inspiration from video games and animation. Danni appears on the new series of The Great British Bake Off (Patch Dolan/Channel 4/Love Productions/PA) – Gabe, 32 Described as the 'daddy of Birmingham drag', Gabe is costume designer and produces theatre shows and performs under the drag king stage name of Blu Romantic. Their baking journey began aged 13 after watching the first series of Bake Off and they love making meringue along with more savoury, meat-filled bakes. Raised in Grimsby, they now live in the West Midlands with partners Ellis and Tyler and their two sausage dogs, Dill and Sage. – Gary, 67 Gary, a retired garment technologist, discovered baking later in life after buying his first cookbook five years ago. After beating prostate cancer, Gary is passionate about raising awareness and funds for cancer charities through bake sales and coffee mornings. Born and bred in Chesterfield, Gary now lives in the Nottinghamshire countryside with his wife Donna along with their many animals including sheep, horses, chickens, a miniature pygmy goat and Shetland ponies. – Molly, 31 The accessibility co-ordinator who lives in London began baking when she was six years old and has a love for traditional bakes and classic flavours including hazelnut, fresh fruit and mint. In 2020 she turned to baking to stay motivated and keep her connected to friends and family during a difficult period with her health. She is also a self-described musical theatre fanatic and has been involved in many drama groups. – Moyin, 22 Balancing his political economy studies with athletics, baking and a part-time job, Essex-based Moyin began baking with his mother when he was five years old. He uses flavours inspired by his Nigerian heritage, including grains of paradise and groundnuts. Moyin appears on series 17 of the baking show (Patch Dolan/Channel 4/Love Productions/PA) – Mo, 21 The 21-year-old West Midlands law student's love of baking began when he was three when he would pretend to cook with Play-Doh. He now produces precise, professional-looking bakes often infusing Asian flavours into traditional British classics. – Nikki, 50 Baking has always been a form of therapy for Nikki, an advertising post-producer from London who began making treats with her mother when she was seven years old. Her baking will be paired with a bespoke soundtrack switching from nostalgic R&B for tried and tested desserts to classical music for something more experimental. – Shannon, 29 The project planner and scheduler is a nature-loving foodie who loves to cook with ingredients she has grown herself, describing her style as 'whimsical, quirky and rustic'. Growing up in Bristol Shannon now lives in the Gloucestershire countryside and is passionate about bringing 'a little forest magic' into her bakes. Mo, one of the bakers on The Great British Bake Off (Patch Dolan/Channel 4/Love Productions/PA) – Tom, 25 The hairdresser is a self-proclaimed 'Northern Diva' who lives in West Yorkshire and loves creating witty, pretty and delicious bakes. Growing up he would escape to his nan's to bake and now brings his colleagues taste-testers including his speciality, salted caramel brownies. – Yannis, 28 When he is not working in a busy neonatal intensive care unit, the London-based paediatric doctor will be in the kitchen baking treats influenced by a range of food cultures. Born in Vienna, Yannis moved to London aged 11 and grew up in a Bangladeshi household, with his first memory of baking making bhapa pitha with his grandmother before learning classic Austrian treats at school. Bake Off quickly became a crucial part of his education and helped Yannis learn English. – The Great British Bake Off returns on Channel 4 on September 22 at 8pm.