Introducing the New Judge of The Celebrity Bake Off - Cherish Finden

This year's installment of Celebrity Bake Off lacked a prominent figure: veteran judge Prue Leith, who temporarily withdrew from the program to concentrate on 'other pursuits.' Reports from The Sun indicate that she is unlikely to return for the 2026 series, with pastry chef Cherish Finden poised to succeed Leith and join the tent alongside Paul Hollywood.

Cherish Finden to Participate on Celebrity Bake Off 2026

Singaporean pastry chef Finden is well-acquainted with the Bake Off realm. Since 2016, she has served as a judge on Bake Off: The Professionals, gaining recognition for her meticulous scrutiny and candid evaluations, often use a ruler to measure even the smallest confections. However, she is also equitable, testing all the tasks prior to the show to guarantee that the designated time is adequate. We ponder whether she will replicate this for the celebrity edition.

Finden had a distinguished career in the culinary field before to joining the show. Her love in cuisine began in childhood, leading her to obtain her initial employment as a waiter at the age of 14, prior to enrolling in a pastry course at Shatec Institutes. After refining her baking skills in prestigious hotels in Singapore, including the six-star Raffles Hotel, Finden relocated to London with her family in 2001, assuming the role of executive pastry chef at the Langham Hotel.

Recently, the patisserie chef launched her inaugural venture, SHIOK!, in the Bishopsgate hotel Pan Pacific London. She used her Singaporean roots into the menu, crafting distinctive desserts such as a coffee-flavored Kopi Tarik and a lemon-raspberry compote purse. In 2023, Finden departed to concentrate on a 'new career phase.'

She is an appropriate adjudicator for Celebrity Bake Off, having secured numerous culinary competition victories throughout the years. Under Finden's stewardship, The Langham's Palm Court received the Tea Guild's Top London Afternoon Tea award in 2010, and two years subsequently, she was honored as Pastry Chef of the Year by the Craft Guild of Chefs. In addition to Bake Off: The Professionals, she has appeared in many television programs, including MasterChef and Heston’s Great British Food.

Finden has created confections for several notable individuals, most prominently crafting a cake resembling Windsor Castle for Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday.

Celebrity Bake Off 2026: What Information Is Currently Available?

Celebrity Bake Off is set to return in the spring of 2026. As customary, it will generate funds for Stand Up To Cancer, showcasing a roster of celebrities from television, music, sports, and beyond. Leith has served as a judge on The Great British Bake Off from 2017; however, in 2024, she announced her decision to take a hiatus from the celebrity edition.

“The event I will not participate in this year is the celebrity edition, primarily due to the continuous filming throughout the summer,” she stated during an appearance on This Morning. She stated, "You commence in April and conclude in August, and frankly, there is no time for respite." I am aging and have destinations I wish to see and activities I desire to pursue.

Her acquaintance Caroline Waldegrave OBE, the former Managing Director and co-owner of Leiths School of Food and Wine, intervened as a substitute.

The celebrities participating in the 2026 series remain unknown, although speculation has arisen. Proposed names thus far encompass Sugababes member Mutya Buena, One Day’s Ambika Mod, Love Island’s Molly Mae-Hague, and musician Rag‘n’Bone Man.

A release date has not yet been determined; however, the show typically broadcasts on Channel 4 during the spring season.