Royal Air Force News Friday, November 17, 2023 P3
News
Cleared for Bake Off Hit TV show wants RAF personnel to show off Top Buns Tracey Allen
HIT TV show The Great British Bake Off has set it sights on the RAF – to recruit talented Service
bakers willing to test their skills on the top Channel 4 reality show. It’s looking for RAF personnel who want to take part in the ultimate baking battle, showcase their top buns on national television and get feedback from judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood – and even earn the rare reward of a coveted Hollywood handshake. The show, from the famous white tent, is now presented by comedian Noel Fielding and This Morning’s Alison Hammond. A Bake Off spokesperson said: “Contestants need to have a broader repertoire than just baking cakes as the show also features bread, biscuit and pastry week. “Include as much information as possible about you and your baking in your application. We want to get a sense of who you are and what type of baker you are, as well as what you have made before. And include as many photos as you can, they are a great way to show off the bakes you have made before.” Since it launched on BBC Two, the programme, where passionate amateur baking fans compete to be crowned the UK’s best amateur baker, has been a runaway success and some of its past winners, including Nadiya Hussain, John Whaite, Candice Brown and Giuseppe Dell’Anno, have become household names. Nadiya – the show’s stand-out star – rose to fame after winning the sixth series of Bake Off in 2015 when it was still broadcast by BBC Two.
YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS PRUE: Great British Bake Off judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, and presenter Alison Hammond, far left
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We want to get a sense of who you are and what type of baker you are
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She is now the author of more than a dozen books, including children’s books and her autobiography, has presented several of her own television cooking series and has collaborated with High Street chain Next on a range of footwear. Rahul Mandal, a research scientist who won in 2018, has his recipes regularly featured in The
Times Saturday Magazine. And you don’t have to be a series winner to make the big time – Liam Charles, who was a contestant on Series 8, went on to be a successful TV presenter as well as having penned two cookbooks and a column for The Guardian. Liam has co-presented one of the GBBO’s four spin-off shows – Bake Off: The Professionals, with comedian Tom Allen, and joined Prue Leith as a judge on Junior Bake Off, presented by Harry Hill. The GBBO’s two other spin-offs have proved just as popular as the original show. A host of famous names such as Friends actor David Schwimmer, Little Mix star Jesy Nelson,
Olympian Tom Daley and journalist Krishan Guru-Murthy have shown off their culinary ability, or, in some cases, lack of it, on Celebrity Bake Off, to raise money for the charity Stand Up To Cancer. And on Bake Off: An Extra Slice, presenter Jo Brand and celebrity panellists discuss the after-events of the latest GBBO episode. l If you think you’ve got what it takes to join the next batch of bakers for series 15 of Bake Off, applications are open now at: applyforbakeoff.co.uk or you can email: applyforbakeoff@ loveproductions.co.uk or call: 0117 456 8530 for an application form. The closing date for applications is 1pm on January 2, 2024.
Half of veterans experience loneliness
WWII Gunner reaches 101st
MORE THAN half of UK veterans say they suffer from feelings of loneliness and most say they would like to spend more time with their former Forces comrades, according to a survey. Research by railcard.co.uk, which operates the Veterans railcard scheme, reveals that one in four of Britain’s former military personnel report feelings of isolation. Among the under-25s who quit the Services, there is a shortage of social opportunities to stay in touch with their military pals, according to the survey of more than 5,000 veterans. A spokesman said: “The extraordinary experiences we undergo during our time in the Armed Forces profoundly shapes our characters and influences various facets of our lives. “Maintaining connections with fellow veterans has proven to be fundamental in navigating life beyond the military.”
ONE OF the original members of the RAF Regiment, formed during WWII, has celebrated his 101st birthday. Gunner Cpl Allan Perry (pictured) joined friends at the Dorset, Bristol and Bath branch of the RAF Regiment Association to mark the event.
‘LONELY’: Veterans