The line-up for this year's series of The Great British Bake Off has been unveiled but fans in Northern Ireland have been left disappointed by the absence of any local faces.
Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are returning to the tent alongside presenters Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas and after much waiting the GBBO has finally revealed which of the nation's 12 bakers will be competing to take home the most coveted cake stand in Britain.
This year's bakers range in age from 19-years-old Freya, who has watched the show since she was nine, to 70-year-old ex-midwife Maggie.
The bakers come from all walks of life and also include an IT technician and a Met Police detective.
Although NI fans had been looking forward to another year of Signature Bakes, Technical Challenges and Showstoppers, the announcement has left many feeling disappointed.
The competitors are made up of four from London, another four from the South of England (excluding London), two from the North (of England) and two from the Midlands (of England).
After the line-up was revealed, many took to Twitter to question the exclusion of those from the other UK regions.
One fan tweeted: "Hmmm…no contestants from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Poor representation of the four nations @BritishBakeOff."
A second commented: " @PaulHollywood @BritishBakeOff Where are the Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish bakers this year? More like great English bake off."
"So much for the Great “BRITISH” Bake-off… No representation from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Surely it shouldn’t be difficult for @Channel4 and @BritishBakeOff to choose at least 1 rep from each nation every year?" said a third.
Another fan pointed out: "They had someone from Northern Ireland and Scotland last year when restrictions were worse."
The programme makers did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by Belfast Live.
The 2020 series of the baking competition saw 20-year-old Scottish student Peter Sawkins named the youngest ever winner.
The Great British Bake Off returns on Tuesday, September 21 on Channel 4 at 9pm.
