Who was declared the Star Baker in episode 1 of The Great British Baking Show season 16? Details explored

The Great British Baking Show Season 16, or Collection 13, premiered on Netflix on September 5, 2025.

Episode 1, titled Cake Week, saw 12 home cooks enter the tent to take on Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith’s challenges. 

Among the hopefuls was Nataliia, a Ukrainian native who immigrated to the United Kingdom four years ago, before the war broke out. 

Nataliia’s food stood out from the rest in the premiere episode of the show. As a result, she was declared the Star Baker of the week.

In the Signature Round, the 32-year-old office assistant wowed the judges with her Ukrainian Passion Petal Swiss Roll, earning a positive response from both Prue and Paul.

In the Technical Round, Nataliia continued to impress the judges, securing third spot with her fondant fancies.

In the last challenge of The Great British Baking Show episode, which was the Showstopper Challenge, the bakers were tasked with creating a landscape cake. 

Nataliia stuck to her roots and presented the panelists with a Ukrainian landscape chocolate cake. 

All her presentations surpassed expectations, which is why Prue and Paul decided to crown her the Star Baker of the week. 

The Great British Baking Show star Nataliia explains why her Showstopper Cake is meaningful to her

In the first round of the competition, the home cooks were asked to make a Swiss Roll, which would have an inlay design and be stuffed with two different fillings. 

With two hours in hand, Nataliia decided to bake a vibrant Swiss Roll that would showcase inlays inspired by the wildflowers of her homeland.

As for the fillings, it would have a passion fruit and mango jam filling along with a cream cheese filling.

While reviewing Nataliia’s Swiss Roll, Prue appreciated how “embroidered” the inlay on the cake looked. 

Meanwhile, Paul tasted a spoonful of the dessert and said it was “delicious to eat.”

However, he pointed out that The Great British Baking Show contestant had overbaked the sponge.

“But flavor-wise, stunning,” he added.

For the next round, the Technical Challenge, the bakers had to make nine fondant fancies.

The twist, however, was that the contestants would not have any recipe to follow. Additionally, they would have to figure out the flavors on their own. 

However, the participants were given five minutes before the challenge to taste pre-made fondant fancies to understand their flavor and overall composition. 

While reviewing Nataliia’s fondant fancies, Prue and Paul commended the baker for getting the color as close to the original as possible. 

They also liked the overall almond flavor of the sponge and the tartness from the jam.

After tasting the rest, The Great British Baking Show experts placed Nataliia in third spot. 

In the last round, the Showstopper Challenge, Nataliia baked a Ukrainian landscape chocolate cake filled with cherry jam and blue mirror glaze. 

“This cake means a lot for me, especially nowadays. I’ve got friends and my family in Ukraine, so sometimes I got homesick. I lived few years in Kyiv. It’s such a wonderful city. It’s full of art, full of wonderful people. So, yeah, it’s so sad,” Nataliia explained.

Paul tasted her cake and called it “stunning,” while Prue was mesmerized by how beautifully decorated the cake was.

Paul liked how, despite being a chocolate cake, it was not heavy but only packed with flavor.

Prue expressed a similar sentiment, noting that it was “very delicious.”

After tasting all the dishes, Prue and Paul deliberated, ultimately deciding to give the title of Star Baker to Nataliia, based on her performance throughout the episode. 

Stay tuned for more updates.