Check Out the Returning Bakers on Season 3 of The Great British Baking Show: Holidays
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Every season of The Great British Baking Show: Holidays is like a festive, warm hug that makes you laugh, cry, and get very excited for holiday happenings in equal measure, and the latest season is no different. Season three of the classic baking show's holiday special features our favorite stern-but-sweet judges Paul and Prue (more on the stern - or scary - side for Paul), the slapstick antics of Noel and Sandi, and the return of some of our most-loved contestants from seasons past.
What makes this season even more exciting? Apart from the classic set-up of four past contestants competing to make elaborate holiday desserts, the cast of the British sitcom Derry Girls will also be featured as they attempt to create New Year's inspired bakes. Prepare for nail-biting time crunches, random and hilarious blurbs by Noel, and yes, incredible baked goods you'll want to try making yourself come Christmastime, like gingerbread houses, Swiss rolls, and lots of cake. Ahead, find all the details on the four contestants returning for the special. (And yes, this did originally air in the UK in 2019, so don't go looking for spoilers!)
Yan Tsou
Yan Tsou is best known as the baker from season eight who loved using her passion for science as inspiration for her desserts. A quality control scientist that works as part of the Crick's Cell Services team, Yan is famous for her banana-ramen illusion cake (we still can't believe it wasn't actually ramen) and her checkerboard hand-raised pie that showed immense mathematical skill. Although she left in episode seven, Yan's attention to detail and her use of scientific principles in baking was completely unique – so prepare for exact gingerbread house measurements and chemistry-level Christmas recipes.
Briony May Williams
Another baker on season three of the holiday special is none other than Briony May Williams, a cast member we will never forget for her amazing flavors every single time and her always-perfect pastry. With immensely detailed concoctions like her Alice in Wonderland-inspired "Down The Rabbit Hole" banquet pie, Briony's season nine bakes led her to become a semi-finalist. Since then, the baker shares her personal life on social media and regularly interacts with her multitude of followers, candidly speaking about her hand disability.
Talking about her time on the show, Briony told Channel 4 that "I specified early on that I didn't want them to make a big deal out of it because I just wanted to see how people would view it" and "It was almost kind of trying to prove that just because you've got a disability, you can do just as well as anyone else." We can't wait to see what Briony brings to the Christmas tent!
Terry Hartill
One of the most heartwarming bakers ever to reach the GBBS tent, Terry Hartill impressed with his knowledge of bread-baking and art, as well as his kindness. A season nine contestant, Terry is known for his "Brandy Snap Selfie" self-portrait work of art that looked straight out of a museum, and of course, his very-crave-able tangy citrus sticky Chelsea buns. Terry made an impact on viewers when he left in episode five during spice week, as he revealed his wife had recently passed. Without a dry eye anywhere, Terry made it clear how much the show had meant to him in lifting his spirits after the tragedy, and with creations like his, we're so happy he made the leap.
Thomas Hetherington
The last contestant on the newest iteration of the show's holiday competition is Thomas Hetherington, a season eight cast member who left in episode four. Although he left pretty early on, the Edinburgh-based architect's bakes while on the show were delightful, including perfect coffee and amaretto kisses and a "Drain Pipes and Ladders" board game that Prue said looked like it came from the pages of a magazine. Using his architectural knowledge to create structural desserts, Tom also makes use of family baking knowledge, as he was taught by his mother, and his sister owns a teashop. With an advantage at construction, Tom's gingerbread house has to be nothing short of masterful.
