Who is Lesley? Meet The Great British Bake Off 2025 contestant and hairdresser
Could Lesley walk away as Star Baker?
The Great British Bake Off is headed back to screens this autumn, providing the nation with cosy appointment viewing once more.
As always, 12 bakers will step foot into the white tent and take on a series of challenges set by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, whether it be pastries, desserts or bread.
One of those bakers is Lesley, who has a love for classic old-school bakes, but with modern and fun designs.
So what else is there to know about Lesley? Read on to find out more about The Great British Bake Off 2025 contestant.
Who is Lesley?
Age: 59
Location: Kent
Job: Hairdresser
Lesley is a 59-year-old hairdresser from Kent. She has been a hairdresser for 45 years, and anyone who visits her salon can always expect a slice of cake along with their trim.
She has been baking since she was 10 years old, along with her grandmother and aunt who taught her the basics and sparked a lifelong passion. When it comes to baking, it is all about comfort, creativity and making people feel special, especially when it's served with a cup of tea and a chat.
Lesley never imagined she'd be on Bake Off, having applied a few times before but never getting far in the process.
Speaking of when she found out she'd be part of this year's line-up, Lesley said: "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!"
What are Lesley's strengths and weaknesses as a baker?
As a baker, Lesley's strengths are traditional home baking and cooking, with a love for pies, pastries and cakes.
"I am good at experimenting with new ideas and cooking with different recipes, creating new versions by adding new ingredients," she said.
As for weaknesses, Lesley said: "Not believing in myself enough to trust my gut instinct."
The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday 2nd September at 8pm.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
