AFTER a delayed start, the well-loved baking show returns to British television screens, this time with a bubbly Essex baker in the group of 12 contestants.

Dana Conway, 25, from Southend, made her first appearance in the show today and wowed the judges with cakes of all varieties. 

Kicking off the new series with cake week, contestants were tasked with baking a signature vertical layer cake, the show's own iconic chocolate cake in the technical challenge, and a sponge cake for the showstopper.

In the signature challenge, Dana created a salted caramel latte vertical layer cake that the judges, Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, thoroughly enjoyed.

Dana was then pleased with the technical challenge as she was able to rectify what she had many 'sleepless nights' over. 

Tasked with recreating the show's iconic chocolate raspberry cake, Dana was pleased to be able to finally add on the missing raspberry that has frustrated viewers for so many years.

Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, Prue deemed the cake 'too fudgy' and Dana came 12th in the challenge. 

Dana excelled in the showstopper challenge in which the 12 amateur bakers were tasked with creating an animal themed cake.

She decided to create her dog, Gracie, in cake form, informing the judges that it would be in her beloved pup's favourite flavours of banana and peanut butter, although she joked: "Her favourite flavours are really chicken and beef but I can't really put that in a cake."

The judges overall liked Dana's Gracie themed cake and the budding baker was put through to the next round.

You can follow Dana's journey weekly on Tuesdays on Channel 4.