How to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 online

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith (bottom, left to right) are judging Great British Bake Off 2021 with Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding as the presenters
(Image credit: Channel 4)

Ready, set, bake! It's time to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 online, which is finally back again. A dozen new bakers from around the UK are set to enter the big white tent and whip up cakes, cookies, biscuits, bread and other treats. 

GBBO start time, channel

The Great British Bake Off series 12 premieres at 8 p.m. BST today (Sept. 21) on Channel 4.
The first episode drops on Friday, Sept. 24 on Netflix. 

Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are back to deliver their verdicts on the confectionary creations, while Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas return as presenters. Fielding missed out on the most recent Christmas specials while on paternity leave.

The 12 new contestants range in age from 19 to 70 and come from diverse backgrounds and professions, including a Metropolitan Police detective, a software developer and a retired nurse (see the full cast list below). Due to the ongoing pandemic, they filmed in a bubble, just like last year's GBBO cast. 

Here's everything you need to know to watch Great British Bake Off 2021 online. Plus, watch a teaser for series 12:

How to watch Great British Bake Off 2021 from anywhere

Just because Channel 4 isn't available everywhere doesn't mean you need to miss The Great British Bake Off 2021 if you're away from home. Watching along with the rest of the internet can be pretty easy. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you go.

Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. It offers superb speeds and excellent customer service.

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Our favorite VPN service, <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Foffer%2Ftomsguide%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ExpressVPN, really shines thanks to its safety, speed and simplicity-to-use. It's also compatible with loads of devices - from iOS and Android to Roku, Apple TV and PlayStations. You'll even get an extra 3 months free if you sign up for a year, or there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you just want to give it a try.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your website or streaming service of choice and tune in.

How to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 in the UK

The Great British Bake Off 2021, or GBBO series 12, premieres at 8 p.m. BST today (Sept. 21) on Channel 4 and its related All4 streaming service.

To watch Channel 4 on demand, all you need to do is sign up a free account. The All4 app is available on Android, iOS, Roku, Chromecast, Fire TV, PS4, Xbox One, Now TV, Sky and Virgin Media.

Brits who are traveling abroad can still access Channel 4 with the help of ExpressVPN.

How to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 online in the US

In the U.S., GBBO is titled The Great British Baking Show and streams on Netflix. The new season will premiere with the first episode on Friday, Sept. 24 at 3 a.m. ET.

Americans who are abroad in a country with Netflix geo-restrictions can still get all the baking action using ExpressVPN.

How to watch The Great British Bake Off 2021 in Canada

Good news and bad news for Canadians. The good news is that GBBO, which is also called The Great British Baking Show in Canada, is on CBC and the CBC Gem streaming service. 

The bad news is that new seasons usually don't become available until months after the U.K./U.S. broadcasts. For instance, series 11 just debuted in August, nearly a year after it aired. Thus far, CBC hasn't set a GBBO series 12 release date.

The Great British Bake Off 2021 cast: Meet the bakers

  • Amanda Geo, 56, Metropolitan Police detective, London
  • Chigs Parmar, 40, Sales manager, Leicestershire
  • Crystelle Pereira, 26, Client relationship manager, London
  • Freya Cox, 19, Student, North Yorkshire
  • George Aristidou, 34, Shared lives coordinator, London
  • Giuseppe Dell'Anno, 45, Chief engineer, Bristol
  • Jairzeno, 51, Head of Finance, London
  • Jürgen, 56, IT professional, Sussex
  • Lizzie Acker, 28, Car production operative, Liverpool
  • Maggie, 70, Retired nurse & midwife, Dorset
  • Rochica, 27, Junior HR business partner, Birmingham
  • Tom, 28, Software developer, Kent

Kelly Woo
Streaming Editor

Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.