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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

The Great Christmas and Great Festive Bake Off: When it's on, when it was filmed and who is taking part

The Great British Bake Off 2020 may still be fresh in your memory but it's already time for a festive special.

Bake Off bosses are treating us to not one, but two specials over the Christmas period.

And you can expect to see some familiar faces.

The Christmas special will air on  Channel 4  on Christmas Eve (December 24) at 7.20pm whilst the New Year version will be on Sunday January 3 at 7.45pm.

Familiar faces will return to the tent (© Mark Bourdillon)

Of course, both specials will see the return of judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith who will be casting their expert eye over the bakes - but will they be naughty or nice?

But there is a slight change in the presenting line-up.

Matt Lucas will be joined by Bake Off: The Professionals host Tom Allen for the festive special, with Noel Fielding returning as usual for the January episode.

Starting with the Christmas version, it will be a nostalgic trip back to Bake Off 2017, 2018 AND 2019 as former contestants make a festive trip back to the famous tent.

James Hillery competed in the show three years ago, making it to the fifth week of the competition.

The line-up for the Bake Off Christmas special (Channel 4)

London-based project manager Ruby Bhogal may be hoping for a win after making it to the final of Bake Off’s 2018 series.

From 2019, former semi-finalist and vet Rosie Brandreth-Poynter will be hoping to go one step further while Jamie Finn, 21, will be back after breaking fans' hearts during his early exit a year ago.

And don't turn over just before the end, as popstar Alexandra Burke will perform a magical version of a Christmas classic.

Turning our attention's to New Year's day, this episode again features former contestants instead of celebrities this year.

Noel will be back for the New Year special (© Mark Bourdillon)

Helena Garcia, who made it five weeks in the tent, and Henry Bird, who narrowly missed out on the semi-final, will both be back a year on from appearing in the 2019 series.

Winner Rahul Mandal may be hoping for another win as the Rotherham-based baker took the Bake Off title in 2018.

And from 2014, Nancy Birtwhistle became Bake Off’s oldest ever winner at 60.

But who will get the Festive Star Baker title?

Details on when it was filmed haven't been confirmed but it was likely done following the 2020 series in the summer, which was recorded following Covid guidelines.

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