Inside stunning Bake Off star Rebecca’s glam life of bikinis and jet-set trips as hit show returns

BAKE Off newcomer Rebecca Lightbody has joined the lucky dozen hoping to impress judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood in the famous tent.

Rebs, as she's known to friends, spent her childhood in the countryside in Northern Ireland and loves everything to do with Irish culture – she can Irish dance and play the tin whistle.

But the tech worker has a passion for travelling too, with an Insagram account documenting her globetrotting life.

She’s uploaded glam bikini selfies and snaps showing off her stylish wardrobe from bucket list destinations.

The 23-year-old has posted from Turkey, Italy, Morroco and Spain in recent years and has made sure to share beautiful photos from her trips by capturing sunsets, mountains and, of course, food.

Her boyfriend Jack is from Turkey and the keen cook has said she most recently started to play around with Middle Eastern ingredients in a nod to his heritage.

Rebs has meanwhile revealed her earliest baking memory is of being a child, aged only three years old, helping her mum in the kitchen, as well as eating her granny’s renowned lemon meringue pies.

She said she enjoys baking as a way to unwind from the stress of a busy life in the tech world.

The Great British Bake Off returns today, at 8pm and judge Paul Hollywood has revealed a tasty new twist to the iconic foodie series.

The famous baker, 56, opened up on one of the many firsts for the Channel 4 show.

Paul was quizzed by  on any new developments fan can expect from the series this year.

The "bread king" candidly replied: "Mexican week was one of my favourites because the challenges are spectacular.

"What they created was very, very good - on a par with what I had in Mexico only a couple of weeks before making Paul Hollywood Eats Mexico."

Along with this exciting new addition, viewers at home will also be able to see the bakers take on patisserie week, free-from week and fan favourite bread week.