Meet The Great British Bake Off 2023 contestant Tasha, the show’s first deaf baker
Meet Great British Bake Off 2023 contestant Tasha, the show’s first deaf baker
The hugely popular Great British Bake Off is set to return with a 14th series on Tuesday September 26.
Launching at 8:00pm on Channel 4, it will see 12 amateur but passionate bakers compete in a desperate bid to earn the praise of Paul Hollywood and emerge victorious.
But this year’s series has a twist: the presenters have taken it upon themselves to learn British Sign Language – as the show welcomes its first ever deaf contestant.
And that’s not the only difference viewers will see this year: series 14 will see popular TV personality Alison Hammond, from ITV’s hit Good Morning, join the star-studded cast which includes Paul Hollywood.
Who is the first deaf candidate on the show?
First up: Great British Bake Off presenters learned sign language as show welcomes its first ever deaf contestant, Tasha (pictured)
The line-up: Launching at 8pm on Channel 4 on Tuesday September 26, Great British Bake Off will see 12 amateur but passionate bakers compete in a desperate bid to win.
Tasha Stones is the 27-year-old who made TV history by becoming the first ever deaf contestant on the hit Channel 4 reality show.
Responsible for Bristol’s participation, the keen baker will join the show with her BSL interpreter, Daryl.
She said: “When I got the Zoom call to tell me I was one of 12, I cried. Daryl cried too. We were a mess.
To make the show run as smoothly as possible, the presenters and judges, including newcomer Alison Hammond, were taught the basics of British Sign Language.
However, it proved to be an uphill battle for South African television boss Prue Leith. Although the lady can boast of having been awarded an OBE for her services to food, broadcasting and charity, she admitted: “I’m not very good at sign language, but Paul is.”
Channel 4, which took control of the Great British Bake Off after six years with the BBC, made sure the Bristol native did not feel isolated among the rest of the cast.
It was also important to Tasha that the network allowed her to bring her BSL interpreter, Daryl, along with her on her Bake Off journey.
Tasha said: “It was a great moment when Noel introduced not only Alison but also Daryl into the line-up. Seeing Daryl up front and feeling like a part of the show was a really special moment. I couldn’t have done it without him.
Why is Alison Hammond joining the all-star cast?
Gold on TV: Good Morning Britain fans were delighted to announce that their favorite presenter, Alison Hammond, had joined the Great British Bake Off.
Fans were treated to their first glimpse of The Great British Bake Off last month as new host Alison Hammond joined the tent alongside Noel Fielding.
It was confirmed earlier this year that the This Morning presenter, 48, would replace Little Britain’s Matt Lucas, 49, on the beloved Channel 4 show following his departure.
It comes after new Great British Bake Off co-host Alison revealed not a single slice of cake was involved in her audition for the role.
To see if she was good enough for the job, producers asked Alison to chat with strangers at a garden center, with no treats in sight.
Shedding light on her audition, she shared: “They had me interview random strangers, to obviously see if I’m good with different people. It was a weird hearing.