Inside the busy weekends of Channel 4's Bake Off contestants from early mornings to long filming days

The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 with hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding for its 15th season. They're joined by seasoned judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood as they preside over a new batch of bakers during cake week.

This time around, the bakers are tasked with transforming a loaf cake into an elevated masterpiece and crafting hyper-realistic illusion cakes that aim to stun the judges. Despite the light-hearted blunders and eye-opening moments on the show, there's much that TV viewers don't witness.

The contestants, leading their normal lives outside the show, dedicate their entire weekends to baking under the canvas. According to some who've been through it, a single episode requires a filming marathon of 10 to 16 hours.

Season nine contestant Antony Amourdoux revealed to Insider, "You start early in the morning and it ends a little after six or seven in the evening. Normally they shoot on the weekends because some contestants work like I was working."

He added, "So Saturday will be the whole day and Sunday will be early in the morning to around midday."

This extensive filming schedule explains why participants maintain the same outfits throughout the weekend.

With only an hour to convey each weekend's happenings, a vast amount of footage inevitably doesn't make the final cut. Contestants' days begin with a pickup from their hotels at 9am on both Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate the intensive filming agenda.

The show is typically shot over a span of 10 weeks from April to June, allowing the bakers to maintain their regular jobs during the week.

This year's contestants include Andy, a 44-year-old mechanic from Essex, Christian, a 33-year-old menswear designer from London, Dylan, a 20-year-old retail worker from Buckinghamshire, and Georgie, a 34-year-old paediatric nurse from Carmarthenshire.

Joining them are Gill, a 53-year-old manager from Lancashire, Hazel, a 71-year-old former nail technician from Kent, Illiyin, a 31-year-old birth trauma specialist midwife from Norfolk, Jeff, a 67-year-old former university lecturer from West Yorkshire, and John, a 37-year-old directorate support manager from the West Midlands.

Also participating are Mike, a 29-year-old farm manager from Wiltshire, Nelly, a 44-year-old palliative care assistant from Dorset, and Sumayah, a 19-year-old dentistry student from Lancashire.

The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on September 24 at 8pm