A whopping 9.3 million viewers tuned into BBC One this week to catch the first episode of the new series of The Great British Bake-Off (opens in new tab), and illustration fans, in particular, have a treat in store with season six.
That's right: Welsh illustrator Tom Hovey (opens in new tab) is back. His charming animated illustrations of the recipes have delighted audiences of the multi-BAFTA-award-winning show since its inception in 2010.
Hovey was working in London as an editing assistant for a production company when he landed the job. "When they were putting it together they realised something was missing, a visual element in the show to help visualise what the bakers are doing. It's quite hard to figure out what they are trying to make. So I pitched a few ideas and got the gig," he told Wales Online (opens in new tab).
Now based in Bristol, where he freelances under the name Tom Hovey Illustration, the artist has been busy bringing season six's tasty creations to life - including a more triumphant version of contestant Dorret Conway's ill-fated Black Forrest gâteau.
With the first episode in the bag, we can't wait to see the rest of Hovey's beautiful illustrations. In the meantime, feast your eyes on some of his classic artwork (opens in new tab) from The Great British Bake-Off over the years - and keep an eye on Hovey's Twitter (opens in new tab) and Instagram (opens in new tab) feeds, where he regularly posts illustrated updates from the show.
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