How to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 in the UK, US and abroad: Live stream The Great British Baking Show for free anywhere online
Looking for a slice of the baking action? Here’s how to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 anywhere in the world online
You can watch every episode of The Great British Bake Off 2021 on Channel 4 online every Tuesday at 8pm BST. In the US, the show is called The Great British Baking Show and it airs three days after the UK show on US Netflix.
Last week, Crystelle managed to score another Star Baker title to join Giuseppe and Chigs in the final. Meanwhile, much to the surprise of everyone watching, former favourite Jurgen was eliminated from the competition joining Lizzie, George, Amanda, Freya, Maggie, Rochica, Jairzenho and Tom as the contestants whose journey has proven to be short-lived.
Series 12 of The Great British Bake Off returned to Channel 4 on Tuesday 22 September 2021 with 12 new super-keen contestants. Each new arrival will put their baking skills to the test over the coming weeks until one is crowned the GBBO 2021 winner.
Great British Bake Off 2021: Theme, Star baker and eliminated contestants
Week | Theme | Star Baker | Eliminated |
1 | Cake | Jurgen | Tom |
2 | Biscuit | Jurgen | Jairzeno |
3 | Bread | Giuseppe | Rochica |
4 | Dessert | Chigs | Maggie |
5 | German | Giuseppe | Freya |
6 | Pastry | Crystelle | Amanda |
7 | Caramel | Jurgen | George |
8 | Free From | Chigs | Lizzie |
9 | Patisserie | Crystelle | Jurgen |
10 |
Great British Bake Off 2021
What’s changed and what’s stayed the same?
Like previous years, the show is scheduled to run for about ten weeks, meaning The Great British Bake Off 2021 winner will be revealed at the end of November.
Unlike last year where Matt Lucas replaced Sandi Toksvig as the second presenter, this year the panel quartet will remain the same with Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith returning as judges, with Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas taking over the presenting responsibilities and testing the contestants’ concentration levels.
As always, the contestants will be put through their paces with a series of tests including the signature, showstopper and technical challenges, which are based on each week’s theme. Although we don’t know the themes in advance, past favourites have included bread week, pudding week, biscuit week and even the controversial caramel week.
It’s not just the contestants that are committed, though. Each week, thousands of people cook along with the bakers, attempting to create their own cakes, breads and showstoppers. The series is responsible for reigniting the interest in home baking throughout the UK, with several stores reporting a sharp rise in baking products during the ten weeks the show is aired.
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How to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 in the UK: Channel 4
You can watch The Great British Bake Off by tuning into Channel 4 every Tuesday at 8pm.
Don’t worry if you miss an episode because you’ll be able to catch up on the series via the Channel 4 website and apps.
All you need to do is create a free Channel 4 account online if you don’t have one already.
How to watch The Great British Baking Show in the US: Netflix
Unfortunately, UK residents can no longer watch previous series of The Great British Bake Off on Netflix. If you live in the US, you can watch the same show on US Netflix, where it’s called The Great British Baking Show.
In the past, you’ve been able to watch previous seasons of the show but last year Netflix US has announced that the latest episode will air every week, three days after it airs in the UK. This means you won’t have to wait months to get your fresh baking fix.
How to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 abroad: use a good VPN service
The Great British Bake Off has been so successful that it has spawned many adaptations and spin-offs around the world including The Great American Baking Show, The Great Canadian Baking Show, The Great Australian Bake Off and Bake Off Brazil, among others. If you want to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 from outside the country, you’ll need to use a VPN because Channel 4 geo-blocks its content. This means you won’t be able to watch The Great British Bake Off unless you connect to a UK server using a good VPN service.
READ NEXT: Best VPN services
If you’re unfamiliar with VPNs, what you basically need to know is that they’re a piece of software that tricks your device into thinking it’s in a different country by changing its IP address. There are plenty of VPNs to choose from but ExpressVPN and Surfshark are the ones we’ve tried, tested and found to be the crème de la crème, especially to watch The Great British Bake Off 2019. Both VPNs have a generous 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee so you have nothing to lose by signing up.
They can be used on multiple devices simultaneously and 24/7 customer support means you can ask them what’s the best way to access Channel 4 in the UK if the method we’ve described below doesn’t work.
ExpressVPN: Our personal favourite VPN service not only because of the speed and clarity of streaming we experienced but also because it’s also one of the very few services that have had its entire service audited to prove it doesn’t log or store any user data whatsoever. You can use it on five devices at the same time. Expert Reviews readers get three months free when they sign up for the yearly plan and the plan comes with a 30-day moneyback guarantee.
Surfshark VPN: Another great streaming-friendly VPN service is Surfsharkt VPN because it offers services on par with many of its competitors for almost half the price. Even better, a single VPN subscription covers unlimited devices, making it a great option for you, your family and even a group of friends. While speeds aren’t as fast as ExpressVPN, it should be fast enough for streaming C4 in HD quality.
The Great British Bake Off 2021 contestants
This year’s bakers are a good mix of young and old contestants eager to prove themselves. They all come from different walks of life, having begun their baking journeys at different stages of their life – some, as early as last year. This makes us wonder why we’re waiting to take up baking. Maybe this year’s show will provide us with the motivation that we need.
1. Crystelle – 26, Client relationship manager from London
Crystelle is the designated food-taster in both her family and her group of friends, so it’s no wonder she’s so confident when it comes to experimenting with bold flavours in her bakes. She’s also quadrilingual, has a really diverse heritage and loves to travel, honing her skills in flavour by using spices from across the globe. Crystelle’s also been part of an online choir throughout lockdown, keeping her spirits high with her love of singing – maybe we’ll catch her having a sing-song in the tent.
2. Chigs – 40, Sales manager from Leicestershire
Like many of us, Chigs started his baking journey at the start of the first lockdown in 2020. Unlike many, however, his love of baking has blossomed and since then he’s learned how to make complex bakes and do intricate chocolate work. Aside from baking, Chigs is a thrill-seeker at heart – bouldering, skydiving and trekking are some of his favourite pastimes and he’s got a lifelong goal to reach the top of Kilimanjaro.
3. Giuseppe – 45, Chief engineer from Bristol
Giuseppe inherited his love of baking from his father, an Italian professional chef who did all the cooking and baked a cake every Sunday for Giuseppe growing up. Having since moved from Italy to Bristol, he loves to use nostalgic Italian flavours in his bakes – and as an engineer, they’re always flavoured to perfection. Giuseppe also loves gardening, architecture and making fresh food for his family.
5.
Eliminated
Eliminated in Week 1 – Tom, Software developer from Kent
Four years ago, Tom ventured into the world of baking by making his father a sticky toffee pudding cake, and since then his passion for baking has gone from strength to strength. Now, he bakes pies, bread, quiches and everything in between, often trying to follow a flavour theme to make his bakes exciting and fun. His other hobbies include running, amateur theatre and singing, so we’re sure he’ll be a joy to watch on our screens.
Eliminated in Week 2 – Jairzinho, Head of finance from London
Having started baking seven years ago, Jairzeno has grown accustomed to the craft, stating “baking is like breathing!” He was initially dissatisfied with shop-bought bakes and now obsesses over flavour to get the perfect pâtisérie finish. His favourite aromas are the Caribbean spices, and when he’s not baking Jairzeno can be found training for marathons and going for walks with his partner.
Eliminated in Week 3 – Rochica, Junior HR business partner from Birmingham
Rochica has always loved to dance, but was left unable to do so after an injury; that’s when she started baking. She bakes with her Caribbean heritage at the forefront of her mind, striving to bring the flavour, passion and love of her big Jamaican family to the table. Particularly, Rochica loves it when her nan and aunties enjoy her nostalgic bakes. Of course, her niece and nephew also love tasting Rochicas bakes, and she regularly bakes vivid and creative birthday cakes for them.
Eliminated in Week 4 – Maggie, Retired nurse and midwife from Dorset
Coming from a family of avid bakers, Maggie has a collection of classic recipe books that would make any baker envious. Having said that, one of her favourite things to do is amend classic recipes with exciting new flavours, especially using bread. You’ll never catch her buying a supermarket loaf! As a retired midwife, Maggie thinks delivering a baby is great preparation for the excitement of the Bake Off, but she’s an outdoorsy thrill-seeker at heart, so in retirement, she regularly travels in her caravan to go kayaking and sailing.
Eliminated in Week 5 – Freya – 19, Student from North Yorkshire
Freya’s been dreaming of entering the show ever since she first watched it when she was nine. Apart from studying Psychology at University, she looks after her horse Winnie – a hobby which, alongside baking, she inherited from her grandmother. One main thing to expect from Freya is delicious plant-based bakes. We’re holding out for one of the judges to not be able to tell the difference!
Eliminated in Week 6 – Amanda – 56, Met police detective from London
Artsy Amanda studied graphic design in college and used to work in advertising – you can tell she’s got a creative flair just by looking at her bakes, which she often decorates by painting in a feminine style, inspired by her two daughters. Now, Amanda works as a detective for the Metropolitan Police. Talk about a career shift! One thing that remains in Amanda’s life is her love of baking, as passed down through her Greek-Cypriot heritage, so we can’t wait to see how best she can incorporate these into her challenges on the show.
Eliminated in Week 7 – George – 34, Shared lives co-ordinator from London
Animal lover George grew up in a Greek-Cypriot family whose life revolved around a love of food; now that he’s married with his own children, he’s cooking up the same Greek classics for his family. We can expect George to whip up shabby-chic, vintage style bakes flavoured with home-grown herbs. With his self-proclaimed eye for detail and perfection, we’re wondering if George’s Achilles heel might be style over substance.
Elimated in Week 8 – Lizzie – 28, Car production operative from Liverpool
Lizzie claims she’s usually calm and collected on the inside, despite the messiness she creates while she’s baking. She’s a firm believer in flavour and quantity over precision and loves experimenting with cakes. She also loves dancing and has an interest in criminology, but she distinctly dislikes putting cheese in her bread. We’ll have to wait and see what happens if Paul sets a cheesy bread baking challenge in bread week!
Eliminated in Week 9 – Jürgen – 56, IT professional from Sussex
Jürgen has lived in the UK for 18 years. After moving from Germany, he has always preferred to bake his own German bread. As a result, his baking skills have blossomed and he’s now the designated celebration cake baker in his family; he also makes excellent Jewish challah bread. As a physicist at heart, Jürgen approaches his bakes with scientific precision, so we’re hoping to see some perfectly formed bakes in the tent.