What time is Bake Off: The Professionals on? Hosts, air time for Channel 4 series

Channel 4's Bake Off: The Professionals is returning for a sixth series, where the controversies and slip-ups of the amateur version are here replaced by technical proficiency and stunning innovation - no bingate here.

No pressure then for the teams of pastry chefs who will be competing this year and braving the wrath of the show's notoriously tough judges - here's everything you need to know about this year's Bake Off: The Professionals.

What time is Bake Off: The Professionals on?

Bake Off: The Professionals starts on Tuesday 25th May at 8pm on Channel 4.

The show's 10 episodes will then air weekly on Tuesdays at 8pm, and will be available on All 4 after broadcast.

Bake Off: The Professionals judges

There's no Hollywood handshake to compete for on this spin-off show - Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith have instead handed over the reins to Bake Off: The Professionals judges Cherish Finden and Benoit Blin, who have been with the show since day one and earned a reputation as the toughest judges on telly.

Cherish worked at several prestigious hotels in her home country of Singapore, before she moved to the UK in 2001 where she became Executive Pastry Chef at the Langham Hotel. She has a reputation of demanding excellence - even using a ruler to measure bakes - but completes all the challenges at home so she knows they are fair and feasible in the time limit.

Benoit has worked as a Chef Pâtissier at Raymond Blanc’s two-star Michelin restaurant for over 20 years, and also holds the distinguished title of MCA (Master of Culinary Arts) which is only awarded every four years to the UK's best pastry chefs. He's more than qualified as a judge - Benoit has also weighed in at the UK Pastry Open, UK and European Sugar Championships, National Chef of the Year, British Culinary Federation Chef Competition and the Master of Culinary Arts Finals.

Bake Off: The Professionals hosts

Like the original Great British Bake Off, The Professionals has undergone a few host shake-ups, with chef Tom Kerridge presenting the first series and Angus Deayton taking over for series two.

However, the show found the winning formula in 2018 when double-act Liam Charles and Tom Allen were given presenting duties.

Liam can certainly sympathise with the contestants, having become a breakout star when he came fifth place on The Great British Bake Off in 2017. Tom is a comedian and host of game show Quizness, and a veteran of the Bake Off franchise - he's also a regular contributor on aftershow spin-off An Extra Slice, and even competed in the 2021 Celebrity Bake Off.

Where is Bake Off: The Professionals filmed?

The iconic garden party-esque Bake Off tent is nowhere to be seen here - instead the spin-off series films on a specially created set at the converted stables at a stately home in Firle Place in Lewes, near Brighton.

The converted stables are available to hire as a wedding location, but without the kitchen set which takes 10 days(!) for the crew to set up.

Bake Off: The Professionals airs Tuesdays at 8pm. To find out what’s on TV this week, check out our TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.