CBC today revealed the ten amateur bakers who will compete in the upcoming fourth season of THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW, premiering Sunday, February 14 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC and the free CBC Gem streaming service. Over the course of eight episodes, this group of diverse and talented bakers from across the country will don their aprons and head into the iconic tent to face a number of classic culinary-themed challenges that will test their baking prowess, creativity and skill in an effort to win The Great Canadian Baking Show title.
As previously announced, Season 4 of the fan favourite series will be hosted by comedians, actors, writers and Second City alumni Alan Shane Lewis and Ann Pornel. Esteemed pastry chefs Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley return to the judge’s table to sample the bakers’ best offerings. The new season was filmed safely last fall on the grounds of the Canadian Film Centre in Toronto adhering to strict COVID-19 protocols.
Based on the beloved British format, each episode features three rounds including the Signature Bake, the Technical Bake and the Show Stopper – during which the bakers will rely on their personal interests, baking styles and cultural backgrounds to make their delicious dishes stand out to the judges. After the bakes are tested and critiqued, the judges decide who will be the week’s Star Baker and who will be sent home. In the final episode, the remaining three bakers face-off in a bid to be named Canada’s best amateur baker.
Following the pandemic-fuelled home baking craze, Season 4 applications reached record-breaking numbers for the series. The Canada-wide virtual casting sessions were rigorous, but these ten bakers met the challenge and came out on top:
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Anjali Helferty, 36, a recent PhD grad from Toronto, ON
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Bertie Diaz, 54, a corporate travel agent from Toronto, ON
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Dominike Audet, 42, a radio host and novelist from Québec, QC
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Larry Harris, 53, a business operations manager from Edmonton, AB
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Maggie Frith, 42, a stay-at-home mom and former lawyer from Toronto, ON
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Mahathi Mundluru, 24, a business analyst from Markham, ON
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Oyaks Airende, 28, a project scheduler and engineer from Calgary, AB
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Raufikat Oyawoye, 35, an IT support engineer from Milton, ON
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Sheldon Lynn, 25, a software developer from Vancouver, BC
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Tanner Davies, 28, a marketing consultant from Winnipeg, MB
Last season, 33-year-old administrative assistant, Natalia Shevchenko, of Edmonton, AB took home the title after competing against semi-finalists Colin Asuncion of Toronto, ON and Jodi Robson of Regina, SK. In the lead up to the Season 4 premiere, fans can satisfy their craving by catching up on seasons 1 -3 on CBC Gem.
THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW is produced by Proper Television in association with CBC and Love Productions. The executive producers are Cathie James and Lesia Capone, and the series producer is Marike Emery. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; and Susan Taylor is Executive in Charge of Production. The format is owned by Love Productions and distributed by Sky Vision. In addition to the original British series, the format has been produced in 23 territories including the United States, Australia, France and Ireland. THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW is presented with Robin Hood®. The Robin Hood Baking Family consists of a portfolio of leading baking brands.