The Great British Bake Off WILL return this year 🍰

The Great British Bake Off has reportedly started filming its new season! Although it was looking the show might not go ahead this year due to the global pandemic, the production team have found a safe way to film - and they're already two weeks into filming the 11 series of the show.

According to Deadline, the contestants, staff and hosts all isolated ahead of filming in the tent, which is now in a new, different location that's more remote to ensure everyone's safety as much as they can, and minimise the risk of someone bringing the virus in.

Gary Davey, CEO of Sky Studios (who own Love Productions), has been quoted as saying, "You will have your Victoria sponge this year," adding that filming is going "very well" as Chief Commercial Officer Jane Millichip said, "It's all happening in deep secret, somewhere in darkest deepest Britain in the shires."

Although there's no official word yet on an air date, the show could air slightly later in the year than usual - it normally begins airing at the very end of August, but we may not see the Bake Off tent until later on.

See all the contestants from Celebrity Bake Off 2020:

Of course, the new series will be the first to star Matt Lucas as Bake Off's new host alongside Noel Fielding, after Sandi Toksvig announced her departure in January 2020. She released a statement which read, 'When stepping down from a job it is quite common for people to say they are doing so in order to spend more time with their family.

'Unusually I am departing from the Great British Bake Off so I can spend more time with my other work. As my waistline will testify, Bake Off is an all-consuming show. Spending time with Prue, Paul and Noel has been one of the great pleasures of my life. These are friendships which I know will continue beyond the confines of television.

'Bake Off is a wonderful programme which has already proved it can happily withstand a change of hosting personnel. The reason for that, of course, is that the true stars of the show are the bakers themselves. I wish everyone well.'

Matt said of joining the show, "I’m chuffed to bits to be joining the most delicious show on television. I can’t wait to break bread with Noel, Prue and Paul and meet the brilliant bakers. And bearing in mind my love of cake, I’ve already ordered some much larger trousers in anticipation. See you in the tent!"

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• Great British Bake Off