Who is Jane Beedle, when was she on GBBO and is she starring in Christmas Bake Off?
GARDEN designer Jane Beedle made it to the Great British Bake Off finals in Series 7, alongside Candice and Andrew.
Despite missing out on the winning spot, she impressed judges Mary and Paul with her consistency and technical expertise.
She's making a return to our screens this festive season, here's everything you need to know...
Who is Jane Beedle?
The 63 year old former Bake Off contestant is from Beckenham South London, she is happily married to husband Ray and has two grown up children, Amy and Henry.
Beedle's garderning company Mulberry Garden Design is over ten years old and focuses on transforming the gardens of Kent and London, with a personal touch.
Jane is from a family with a rich baking heritage, not only did her grandfather own a bakery in Hastings, her father also loved to cook.
As expected, during her time on Bake Off Jane excelled in the famed technical challenges, as her strengths lie in her cake, biscuit and pastry bakes.
The garden designer is known for her early starts, getting up at 5am to get a fresh loaf of bread in the oven.
You can follow her on and to see what she's up to.
When was Jane on GBBO?
Jane took part in Bake Off in 2016, which was the last series on BBC One.
It was also the last series to feature Mary Berry as a judge.
She was popular with viewers and contestants alike and was frequently referred to as the "mum of the group".
Although only being named the star baker, once in the ten weeks, Paul and Mary often complimented her professionalism.
While a low point in the competition was when Paul compared her three-tier floral cake to mash potato, she was praised for mirror glazed cake and individual mousses.
Her time on the show was touched with tragedy, as she lost her father towards the end of the series. Despite all this, she always maintained a cheery demeanor.
What has she been up to since Great British Bake Off?
Jane has been keeping herself busy by renovating houses and pursuing her dream of becoming a TV cookery expert.
She bagged a slot on ITV's breakfast show Lorraine and has delighted viewers with delicious recipes, cooked in her spacious home.
Charity work is also a passion of Jane's and she has spoken publicly about her support for Marie Curie, as well as running a baking event for the Freedom from Torture centre in London.
Since her time on the show, Jane became one of the former contestants who take part in the workshop, Bake with a Legend, which offers experiences with “the nation’s favourite bakers”.
Is Jane starring in the Great Christmas Bake Off?
GBBO is the TV treat that keeps us glued to our screens all summer but in recent years there has been a festive offering too.
The iconic baking show's Christmas special will air on Christmas Day (Tuesday, December 25).
It will kick off on Channel 4 at 8pm.
Jane will be starring in the Christmas episode alongside Andrew Smyth from the 2016 series and 2017 contestants Flo Atkins and Liam Charles.
The four will battle it out to be named the Christmas star baker.
Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood, Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding will all be there to oversee the Christmas fun, while rock band the Darkness will provide the soundtrack.
What has Jane said about cancer?
Jane suffered a health ordeal just before she sent in her application to Great British Bake Off.
She told the how years of trying to get a sun tan got the better of her. She went for a check up and the doctor found a melanoma that could have been fatal.
Jane says "When I got home, I had a good cry. I had no idea I might actually have cancer. But the next day I woke up feeling calm and thinking, there is no point worrying about this, I’d better just get on with treatment."
Luckily by the time she received her letter from Bake Off she was in the clear, but she still took part in regular check ups for many months afterwards.