Who is Lesley? All About The Great British Bake Off 2025 Contestant

The much-loved Great British Bake Off is set to return this autumn, bringing back its cosy charm and thrilling baking challenges. As always, 12 contestants will enter the famous white tent to face the scrutiny of judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, competing across bread, pastries, and dessert rounds.

Among the new contestants is Lesley, a 59-year-old hairdresser from Kent. With over 45 years of experience in hairdressing, her salon has long been a place where clients enjoy not just a haircut but often a slice of cake too. Lesley’s passion for baking started at the age of 10, when her grandmother and aunt introduced her to the craft. Since then, she has focused on creating comfort through her bakes, often paired with “a cup of tea and a chat.”

Lesley shared the emotional moment she learned she made the line-up: “I got the call from one of the team at 9:30 on Friday while working in the hair dressing salon and I had to say I was going for a walk round the car park so I could speak to her privately. I really thought at first that I hadn’t made it and she was letting me down gently but then she said that I was one of the 12 this year. I got emotional as I knew my dad would have been very proud and I felt very overwhelmed, excited and a little bit scared!”

Her strengths lie in traditional home baking, especially pies, pastries, and cakes. She also enjoys experimenting with new ingredients and creative twists. However, Lesley admits her biggest weakness is “not believing in myself enough to trust my gut instinct.”

The Great British Bake Off 2025 premieres on Channel 4, Tuesday 2nd September at 8pm.