# Liam Charles
**Liam Charles** is a British baker, television presenter, and cookbook author who first came to public attention as the youngest contestant on the 2017 series of *The Great British Bake Off*, entering the tent at 19 years old. He has since built a career across the Bake Off franchise as co-presenter of *Bake Off: The Professionals* and judge on *[Junior Bake Off](https://www.edgepedia.org/junior-bake-off)*, starred in his own [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4) show, *Liam Bakes*, written two cookbooks, and written a baking column for *The Guardian*.[1](https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/liam-charles/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bake Off debut | Youngest contestant on the 2017 (eighth) series at 19 years old; reached the quarter-finals and finished fifth[1](https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/liam-charles/) • [2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/apr/29/liam-charles-i-keep-my-bake-off-apron-in-my-room-each-stain-tells-a-story) |
| Background | Born in Hackney, London; nicknamed "Cake Boy" by his university friends; studied drama at Goldsmiths, University of London[4](https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/bakers/liam/) • [5](https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/liam-charles-interview/) |
| *Bake Off: The Professionals* | Co-presenter from the show's third series (2018), initially alongside comedian [Tom Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-allen-comedian); by 2025 he was hosting his eighth series[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/apr/29/liam-charles-i-keep-my-bake-off-apron-in-my-room-each-stain-tells-a-story) |
| *Junior Bake Off* | Judge from 2019, working with Prue Leith and host Harry Hill in his first series[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) • [6](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/junior-bake-interview-liam-charles) |
| Cookbooks | *Cheeky Treats: 70 Brilliant Bakes and Cakes* (July 2018) and *Second Helpings* (19 September 2019, 70 sweet and savoury recipes)[1](https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/liam-charles/) • [7](https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/liam-charles/liam-charles-second-helpings/9781529303636/) |
| Other television | Judge for The Platinum Pudding Competition (2022) and contestant in series 2 of *The Masked Dancer* (2022)[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) |
| Writing | Baking column for *The Guardian*, including the "sweet spot" recipe series[8](https://www.theguardian.com/profile/liam-charles) |
## Early life and Bake Off
Charles was born in Hackney, London, and began baking; his first bake was a batch of dense lemon cupcakes for his maths tutor.[4](https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/bakers/liam/) • [6](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/junior-bake-interview-liam-charles) By the age of 15 he could make cupcakes, cakes, pastry, bread, and biscuits to a standard he describes as "solid", and his friends had already christened him Cake Boy, a nickname that followed him onto the show.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/11/liam-charles-cake-best-way-to-make-people-happy) He credits his nan, Cynthia, whose Caribbean cooking he has cited as an influence, for family recipes such as a hand-raised pie that won him Star Baker during Italian and pie-themed weeks.[4](https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/bakers/liam/) • [5](https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/liam-charles-interview/) • [10](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/qa-liam-charles-and-tom-allen-bake-professionals)
He was studying drama at Goldsmiths, part of the [University of London](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-london), when he competed in the eighth series of *The Great British Bake Off* in 2017. As the youngest contestant that year, at 19, he made an eventful run to the quarter-finals and finished fifth.[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/apr/29/liam-charles-i-keep-my-bake-off-apron-in-my-room-each-stain-tells-a-story) • [5](https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/liam-charles-interview/) His stated ambition on the show was to make baking acceptable among his peers and the younger generation, and he regularly baked with his young nephews to encourage that attitude.[4](https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/bakers/liam/)
## Television career
**Bake Off: The Professionals.** The year after his Bake Off appearance, Charles was announced as a host for the third series of *Bake Off: The Professionals*, the Channel 4 competition for professional pastry teams, co-presenting with comedian Tom Allen.[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/apr/29/liam-charles-i-keep-my-bake-off-apron-in-my-room-each-stain-tells-a-story) He got the role through screen tests after the Bake Off production team asked him to try out.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/apr/29/liam-charles-i-keep-my-bake-off-apron-in-my-room-each-stain-tells-a-story) He has described his role as comforting the chefs in a highly competitive environment and has continued in the job since; the 2025 series was his eighth.[10](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/qa-liam-charles-and-tom-allen-bake-professionals) • [2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) In later series his co-presenter has been [Ellie Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/ellie-taylor), alongside judges Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden.[11](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-ellie-taylor-presenter)
**Junior Bake Off.** In 2019 Charles was appointed a judge on *Junior Bake Off*, his first judging role, working with [Prue Leith](https://www.edgepedia.org/prue-leith) and host [Harry Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-hill); he has continued in the role since, later judging alongside pastry chef Ravneet Gill (Rav Gill).[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) • [6](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/junior-bake-interview-liam-charles) • [12](https://www.bigissue.com/culture/tv/junior-bake-off-bullet-proof-tv-with-superb-on-screen-talent/) He has said the atmosphere differs sharply between the shows: the junior bakers are free-spirited, while on *The Professionals* far more rides on the outcome because pastry is the contestants' profession.[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter)
**Other appearances.** In 2022 he served as a judge for The Platinum Pudding Competition, a nationwide search for a pudding recipe dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II as part of the official Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and appeared in the second series of *The Masked Dancer*.[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) He starred in his own Channel 4 show, *Liam Bakes*, whose recipes include the "salted nutter", a bake he says he is asked to make often.[1](https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/liam-charles/) • [6](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/junior-bake-interview-liam-charles) His other television credits include guest appearances on *[8 Out of 10 Cats](https://www.edgepedia.org/8-out-of-10-cats)* and *Beautiful Baking with Juliet Sear*.[13](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/liam-charles/umc.cpc.2pomj74xs06guemtk3qj5um2)
## Cookbooks and writing
Charles's debut cookbook, *Cheeky Treats: 70 Brilliant Bakes and Cakes*, was published in July 2018 while he was still at Goldsmiths.[1](https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/liam-charles/) • [10](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/qa-liam-charles-and-tom-allen-bake-professionals) *The Guardian* described it as "a spangly, Technicolor, many-faceted recipe book", noting the two kilograms of icing sugar in his Football Cake and the domino pattern on his salted millionaire dominoes.[7](https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/liam-charles/liam-charles-second-helpings/9781529303636/) His second book, *Second Helpings*, published on 19 September 2019, contains 70 new sweet and savoury recipes organized around occasions such as family meals, sharing plates, quick snacks, puddings, and cakes.[7](https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/liam-charles/liam-charles-second-helpings/9781529303636/)
He also writes a baking column for *The Guardian*, where his recipes have included salted peanut butter caramel and chocolate tart, rhubarb, apple and almond turnovers, vegan flapjacks, and lamington [French toast](https://www.edgepedia.org/french-toast).[8](https://www.theguardian.com/profile/liam-charles)
## Baking style
Charles describes himself as "definitely a sweet boy", with punchy flavors as his signature; his Caramel Week signature bake on Bake Off was a salted peanut millionaire shortbread, and his guilty pleasures include anything salted-caramel based and good-quality white chocolate with around 30 percent cocoa solids.[4](https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/bakers/liam/) • [10](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/qa-liam-charles-and-tom-allen-bake-professionals) • [2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter) He names the American pastry chefs Christina Tosi of Milk Bar and Dominique Ansel as inspirations for their distinct, creative approach to baking.[6](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/junior-bake-interview-liam-charles) • [9](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/11/liam-charles-cake-best-way-to-make-people-happy) He has said he had no formal culinary training, describing his skill as "baking instinct", and that his drama degree helps his presenting work.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/11/liam-charles-cake-best-way-to-make-people-happy) • [2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter)
## References
1. [Liam Charles, contributor page, Hachette UK](https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/liam-charles/)
2. [Interview with Liam Charles, Presenter, Channel 4 Press (20 May 2025)](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-liam-charles-presenter)
3. [Liam Charles: 'I keep my Bake Off apron in my room. Each stain tells a story', The Guardian (29 April 2018)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/apr/29/liam-charles-i-keep-my-bake-off-apron-in-my-room-each-stain-tells-a-story)
4. [Liam, baker profile, The Great British Bake Off](https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/bakers/liam/)
5. [Five minutes with Liam Charles, delicious. magazine (May 2020)](https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/liam-charles-interview/)
6. [Junior Bake Off: Interview with Liam Charles, Channel 4 Press (4 November 2019)](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/junior-bake-interview-liam-charles)
7. [Liam Charles Second Helpings, Hodder & Stoughton](https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/liam-charles/liam-charles-second-helpings/9781529303636/)
8. [Liam Charles, author profile, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/profile/liam-charles)
9. [Bake Off's Liam Charles: 'Cake is the best way to make people happy', The Guardian (11 July 2018)](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/11/liam-charles-cake-best-way-to-make-people-happy)
10. [Q&A with Liam Charles and Tom Allen from Bake Off: The Professionals, Channel 4 Press (1 May 2018)](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/qa-liam-charles-and-tom-allen-bake-professionals)
11. [Interview with Ellie Taylor, Presenter, Channel 4 Press](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-ellie-taylor-presenter)
12. [Junior Bake Off: Bullet-proof TV with superb on screen talent, The Big Issue](https://www.bigissue.com/culture/tv/junior-bake-off-bullet-proof-tv-with-superb-on-screen-talent/)
13. [Liam Charles, Movies and Shows, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/liam-charles/umc.cpc.2pomj74xs06guemtk3qj5um2)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Restaurants, chefs, and culinary practice › Chefs, culinary professions, and hospitality › Television and celebrity chefs › British and Irish television chefs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license