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Fun in the oven

The Great British Bake Off is back with Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry saucier than ever

Stars of hit show say new series is jam-pack with double entendres and plenty of racy moments

BAKE Off judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry have promised this year’s competition will be the sauciest and most dangerous yet.

The lovable duo, who have been fronting the hugely-popular BBC1 show since 2010, will return to the nation’s screens next Wednesday.

 Get cooking ... Paul, Mary, Mel and Sue are bouncing back with a new series of Bake OFf
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Get cooking ... Paul, Mary, Mel and Sue are bouncing back with a new series of Bake OFf

And 81-year-old Mary turns the air blue from the word go.

Scouse baker Paul Hollywood, 50, said: “We started the first challenge and the first thing out of Mary’s mouth was a ‘nice crack’ and that set the tone really. It was hilarious.”

But his wingwoman Mary blamed Paul, as well as regularly-crude presenting duo Sue Perkins, 46, and Mel Giedroyc, 48. She said: “I have real trouble. This goes on the whole time. I try to gather them up but all three encourage each other and I am trying to get on with the job.”

Today The Sun reveals the full line-up of this year’s hopefuls all bidding to become Britain’s top amateur baker. The Bake Off has become a phenomenon since bursting on to our screens six years ago — when a modest average of 2.8million viewers watched Edd Kimber win the first series.

 Language barrier ... Mary Berry turns the air blue from the word go on the new series
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Language barrier ... Mary Berry turns the air blue from the word go on the new seriesCredit: TV Company

Fast forward to today and the show has grown unrecognisably, with more than 15million tuning in last October to see Nadiya Hussain beat Ian Cumming and Tamal Ray in a final that smashed viewing records.


REVEALED: This year's contestants


Today, Paul and Mary launch the seventh and biggest series with a big interview revealing what life in the Bake Off tent is like.

Telly insiders think it could top 15million viewers for the first time.

But with higher ratings come higher expectations. And that nearly cost some contestants more than just their place in the competition.

 Comedy duo . . . Mel and Sue will be on hand to help keep Paul and Mary in check
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Comedy duo . . . Mel and Sue will be on hand to help keep Paul and Mary in checkCredit: BBC

Mary says razor-sharp knives meant there were injuries which may not be aired on the pre-recorded show. She said: “There were a few blue plasters. They are looking around at what everybody else is doing. They know how to control the knives at home but ours are sharp and we are bound to get people who cut themselves. They are so nervous.

“But who wouldn’t be? It’s The Great British Bake Off.”

Paul added: “We had a few disasters at the beginning and we had a lot of nerves. They settle down but it took them a couple of programmes.”

 Hot property ... telly insiders think the new series of Bake Off could top 15million viewers for the first time.
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Hot property ... telly insiders think the new series of Bake Off could top 15million viewers for the first time.Credit: BBC

 

 Rising to the occasion ... there are ten separate episodes each devoted to the likes of cakes, bread, patisserie and biscuits
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Rising to the occasion ... there are ten separate episodes each devoted to the likes of cakes, bread, patisserie and biscuitsCredit: BBC

Bosses have introduced a new themed skill week. Currently, there are ten separate episodes each devoted to the likes of cakes, bread, patisserie and biscuits as the dozen amateurs attempt three challenges.

Paul revealed: “We do have a week which is slightly different. Batter week. I can’t give away too much but think of something you bake in the oven that has thick consistency and then grows. It was a little bit different and taxing.”

Mary joked: “It was blooming impossible. Everything you see is absolutely genuine. There is something in every show some member of the family will shop for and achieve. It won’t necessarily look the same but it will have given great satisfaction. It has altered a lot of people’s lives.”

 Hollywood style ... Paul got into baking while working shifts at his dad’s bakery as a teenager
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 Hollywood style ... Paul got into baking while working shifts at his dad’s bakery as a teenagerCredit: BBC

None more so than Paul, who before Bake Off hit the big time was a relative unknown.

Unlike Mary, who was already a successful and recognised cook, Paul was a jobbing chef who worked in hotels and briefly moved abroad to Cyprus to sell his wares.

He got into baking while working shifts at his dad’s bakery as a teenager and began appearing in guest spots on telly shows after returning from overseas. But even he can’t believe the level of fame he has achieved — including being recognised in Naples and the Alps.

He has even found time to drive racing cars with the aim of taking part in the Le Mans 24-hour race. He said: “I remember life before Bake Off. I was doing the same thing but it’s changed a lot. My toys are also more expensive.

 Big hitter ... more than 15million tuning in last October to see Nadiya Hussain beat Ian Cumming and Tamal Ray in last year's final
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Big hitter ... more than 15million tuning in last October to see Nadiya Hussain beat Ian Cumming and Tamal Ray in last year's finalCredit: Supplied by WENN

Bath-born Mary is not surprised at how the show has grown and says a lack of swearing makes it a hit with all the family.

She acknowledges the real pressure is on the contestants who will be rewarded with a big-money cookbook deal and household-name status if they are crowned winner. Mary says she and Paul don’t mingle with the hopefuls. She said: “We stay in a different hotel. We are judges and we are fair.”

And while they spend more than 12 hours a day in a makeshift kitchen while filming the show, created by telly company Love Productions, Paul and Mary won’t be tackling diets.

Paul said: “I’ll never diet. I’ve been training a lot as I race cars.” And Mary joked: “I play tennis and watch what I eat. I eat cake. But it’s the size of the cake . . . ”

The Great British Bake Off, BBC1, Weds August 24, 8pm.

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