A MOTHER from Pembrokeshire is in the mix to challenge for this year’s Great British Bake-Off crown.

Michelle Evans-Fecci, of Tenby, has beat off competition from thousands of hopefuls to be chosen to take part in the nation’s favourite culinary contest.
Well-known locally for her cakes and bakes, Michelle, aged 35, is a self-taught baker.

She first fell in love with baking as a child, watching her mother cook at home on their farm in Carmarthenshire.

She works as an administrator in the Tenby print shop, Trade Canvas Print, which is owned by her husband Ben Fecci. To the delight of her husband and teenage son, she bakes almost every other day, with fresh bread for breakfast and sweet treats for pudding always on the menu. She loves to experiment with flavour combinations, using seasonal produce from her garden.Michelle first applied for GBBO back in 2015, when she reached the short-list of 50 out of around 13,000 applicants.

Michelle has spoken about how thrilled she was when she found out she had made it to the tent.

“I was so emotional when I found out, I cry when I am happy and cry when I am sad. I have wanted it for so long, so I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

“To meet all the bakers was so memorable and I have found life long friends that have the same passion as me,” she continued.

When asked what she would bake to represent the happiest day of her life, Michelle said: “The day we got married we christened our son on the same day. So we didn’t have a wedding cake, we had a cheese stack made of six tiers of Welsh cheese. So I would probably remake that as a cake. Our favourite cakes are chocolate cake and carrot cake. I would make one look like stilton, one would look like camembert and various cheeses.”

The Bake-Off is a huge programme, loved by millions, there is understandably a high degree of secrecy involved in the production.

“I have been quite limited to the number of people that I have told,” said Michelle, “but I think they will be so pleased as they know I have wanted it for so so long, so they will be really pleased.”
Michelle has always been a huge fan of the show and when quizzed on her favourite contestant from past seasons, she replied: “Martha from Series 5. I love her style and how they photograph her bakes. She seems very down to earth and I have bought her book so we could talk about that while we wait to get rescued!”

The Great British Bake-Off has been running since 2010 and is now into the tenth season. Originally broadcast on BBC, now is shown on Channel 4 with millions tuning in to watch it every week. The presenters and judges remain the same, with Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig back for another year of puns.

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will also be on hand to judge the best bakes produced in the famous white tent.

This year’s line-up consists of a baker’s dozen – 13 – instead of the usual 12, and there’s a decidedly younger contingent. More than half of the contestants are in their 20s, while the oldest contestant is 56.

It will be air every Tuesday from 8 pm.