Mary Berry ‘not the brightest button in class’ (From Slough Observer)

As fans gear up for the latest series of the BBC baking show, Berry said it is “terribly important” she and Paul Hollywood do not get involved with the contestants outside of the famous tent.

But which of this baking dozen will triumph at the end of series six?

Tamal, 29, is originally from Hertfordshire, but as he is now a trainee anaesthetist living and working in Manchester we won’t hold his home town against him.

Alvin is originally from the Philippines, and works as a nurse in Berkshire, where he lives with his wife and their two children. Outwardly calm, but admits to nerves – especially around caramel.

Mat began baking three years ago in between shifts as a London fire fighter.

A Swansea prison governor with a penchant for sugarcraft, and a little suspicious of Sue’s prison jokes. Bake Off, for Paul, is “an opportunity to show that men like me, stereotyped by our jobs, do and can love baking and that it is a skill and talent to be proud of”.

At 19, Flora is this year’s youngest baker. She’s from Perthshire, where her harshest critics are her two younger sisters.

This year’s youngest baker, Flora works at an art gallery as an assistant and will be starting a history of art degree.

Things might sizzle in the kitchen, but London firefighter Mat can handle the heat. Has perfected Richard Burr’s “pen-behind-the-ear” look from past year.

And you wouldn’t be far wrong as Ugne, who lives in Essex with her bodybuilder partner and is a PA and administrator, frequently makes healthy versions of traditional cakes. As well as a passionate baker, Ugne’s also a keen bodybuilder with a cheeky sense of humour.

She will be up against fellow Scot Marie, 66, who was transformed into a baking whizz after her kids mocked her poor cooking skills.

He credits his older sister for his love of baking.

The technical challenge will see them tackle judge Mary Berry’s frosted walnut cake – a light sponge sandwiched with buttercream and covered with sweet meringue. “Crucially they’re not formally trained, they learnt in their own kitchen”. She was born in Luton but lives in Leeds with her husband where she is a full-time mother to three children.

A child welfare officer from near Bradford, Sandy admits “I can be a bit random”.

She is also a volunteer at a school, where she runs a cooking club teaching children from deprived backgrounds to bake on a small budget. Ugne enjoys being ambitious with her presentation and ingredients – and isn’t afraid of the odd theatrical bake. She was inspired to take up baking in her 30s when she lived in Paris with her family.

Her daughter entered her into the competition, and she has upped her baking ante considerably as her children say that growing up “mum couldn’t even boil an egg”.

Dorret’s family are from the West Indies but she grew up in Preston and works as an accountant.