BAKERS are dusting off their whisks in the hope that the return of Bake Off to TV screens will raise interest yet again.

The ever-popular series was back on Wednesday night for the second year since its switch to Channel 4 and 6.1million viewers tuned in.

Didcot grandmother Christine Wallace, a previous contestant on the show, is backing French-born Manon Lagreve to do well in the competition alongside Briony Williams, who both impressed on the opening night.

Ms Wallace, who now runs her own cookery classes from home, said she was struck by the complexity of the opening task - which saw contestants attempt to re-create a scene from their lives in biscuit form - compared to when she took part in 2013.

She said: "It is lovely to have it back. I am still getting used to it being on Channel 4 with different presenters but within 15 minutes I was already picking my favourites.

"It's really tricky to try to create life-like people in biscuit form - I wouldn't have wanted to have done it.

"I do think it has got harder than it was in our year but the contestants know what to expect a lot more and have done their research before coming on."

Ms Wallace said she does see a surge of interest in her classes at this time of year but many find trying to recreate the bakes from the show too complicated and are put off by having to source obscure ingredients.

Julia Atkinson, who runs Oxford-based cupcake company Happy Cakes, said she often gets people asking her to make something they have seen on GBBO, but are unable or unwilling to bake themselves.

The baker, who creates cakes for bands playing at the O2 Academy in Cowley Road and for the Endeavour cast when they are in the city, is well used to trying to create people's faces in cake-form.

She said: "I feel quite excited about it being back on again.

"It's pretty much the same as it always is but why change a winning formula?

"I do find myself shouting at the screen telling them to use more parchment paper or whatever."

She added: "I think they really challenged them on the first day, it's hard to make people with baking but I'm sure it will help us remember who they are."

Ms Atkinson is also backing Manon to come out on top.

The show is judged by Prue Leith, from Chastleton Glebe, near Chipping Norton, who got into trouble last year for tweeting the name of the winner before it was broadcast.