Zara McDermott has put the agony of her Strictly Come Dancing experience behind her by joining the next series of Channel 4’s The Great Celebrity Bake Off. The former Love Islander, 29, is thought to have already filmed the show, which raises funds for Stand Up To Cancer.
Perfect contestant for Bake Off
Insiders believe the TV presenter was signed up as the “perfect” contestant, because she is an avid baker who already shares her recipes with her 2 million followers. One example of this was a two-tier jungle-themed Victoria and lemon sponge for her young nephew’s birthday.
One source said: “Zara was top of the list for next year’s 10th series of Celebrity Bake Off. She is so engaging and has a genuine love of baking that makes her the perfect celebrity contestant.”
Personal connection to charity
The series, which has finished filming, is due to air on Channel 4 in the spring. Other stars rumoured to be taking part include Strictly’s Anton du Beke, rugby ace Joe Marler and Radio 2’s Jo Whiley.
Zara has good reason for wanting to get involved. She told in 2020 how her mother, Karen, had twice fought and beaten breast cancer. Promoting breast cancer awareness month at the time, she described the Pink Ribbon Foundation as “a cause close to my heart”.
Her decision to take part on the Channel 4 show is no doubt supported by her boyfriend of 18 months Louis Tomlinson. The One Direction star lost his mother Johannah a decade ago to an aggressive form of leukaemia. She died aged 43 just seven months after her diagnosis.
Stand Up To Cancer is a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
From documentary to reality TV
Zara – who follows ex-partner Sam Thompson in to the Bake Off tent – is best known as a documentary presenter on youth channel BBC3, where she has tackled tricky subjects including eating disorders, revenge porn and stalking. She has also investigated the darker side of holiday destinations Ibiza and Thailand.
In 2023, she took part in Strictly with Graziano di Prima as her professional partner, becoming the fifth celebrity to exit the show. But the following year it emerged that she had been mistreated by the Italian, when video footage of their training sessions showed him berating her both verbally and physically. After he was shown to have kicked her, he was sacked on the spot by BBC bosses and afterwards she said that reviewing the video evidence showing his mistreatment of her had been "incredibly distressing".
Zara admitted that fear of victim-shaming, public backlash, and potential harm to her career had prevented her from speaking out about what happened at the time. Di Prima has since expressed deep regret over his actions, saying that his "intense passion and determination to win” had affected his training regime. The scandal caused a major shakeup in which staff chaperones were posted in all rehearsal rooms on the BBC ballroom show.
Channel 4 said the celebrities taking part in next year's show would be announced in due course.
