The Great British Bake Off Season 14 Is Nearly Upon Us

Season 13 of "The Great British Bake Off" was full of drama, but Season 14 may be a welcome change. The new episodes are rumored to premiere in the U.K. on September 12, though the date hasn't been confirmed officially.

When it comes to the last season's mistakes, and we're not just talking about melted icing and underdone biscuits. In more than one episode, the beloved battle of confections, known to fans in the U.S. as "The Great British Baking Show," seemed intent on tarnishing its reputation as a warm and cozy respite for viewers looking to trade reality for a friendly hour of competitive baking every week. Season 13's many blunders included appropriative costumes, crass jokes, and shamelessly inauthentic tacos during Mexican Week; Paul Hollywood's failure to understand the proper anatomy of a s'more; and a technical challenge whose step sheet included a single instruction: "Make lemon meringue pie."

Luckily for fans (and the "GBBO" showrunners), Season 14 is on the horizon, bringing the promise of new beginnings.

There's no definitive premiere date yet for Season 14 of "The Great British Bake Off," but it's rumored that the show will air on September 12, in line with Channel 4's autumn schedule. (Fans in the U.S. can look forward to seeing the show on Netflix shortly after it airs in the U.K.) When that day comes, fans in the U.K. will see plenty of new faces in the tent. One of those faces belongs to Alison Hammond, the new "GBBO" co-host who will take the place of Matt Lucas.

"I feel I'm really glad Alison's coming, because at least she's a woman and she'll be a little more sensible," "GBBO" judge Prue Leith said on the "Dish" podcast. "Those three men, they're like three children." Lucas cited scheduling conflicts when he announced his departure from the show in 2022, though some fans speculate that the backlash from his racist jokes about Mexican people in Season 13 may have had something to do with his swift exit.  

Hammond, who appeared alongside the likes of David Schwimmer on the "Stand Up to Cancer Celebrity Bake Off" special, is the only newcomer on the non-contestant side of the tent. Prue Leith, Noel Fielding, and Paul Hollywood will return as usual.