Who Is Dylan, the Internet’s ‘Great British Baking Show’ Crush?

Paul Hollywood’s icy blue eyes aren’t the only thing piercing viewers’ hearts on the newest season of the Great British Baking Show.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (and maybe even then), you’ve likely heard about the cast of Collection 12 for a handful of reasons: the first being that this season’s contestants are remarkably talented, and the second being that there is an unusually stunning contestant named Dylan that has rapidly become the internet’s latest crush.

Since 2010, the BBC television series, which currently airs weekly on Netflix, has featured 12 self-taught bakers as they compete in various themed challenges to crown a winner. In that time, the show has provided us with fan favorites who have gone on to publish cookbooks, like Season 12’s Jürgen Krauss and Season 9’s Kim-Joy Hewlett. This season is refreshingly sweet, with numerous contestants cementing themselves in GBBO canon, like Slovakian legend Nelly; Andy, a Dad-joke personified; and teenage sweetheart Sumayah — who adores her pet duck, Pato.

The main standout, though, is Dylan Bachelet, a 20-year-old retail assistant from Buckinghamshire. Not only has he stolen the judges’ attention with his striking flavor combinations, but also the hearts of the internet.

Despite the show doing him incredibly dirty in his Episode 1 introductory clip (showing him clumsily falling off of his skateboard), and then emphasizing his clumsiness again in Episode 2 in a scene in which falls off his chair, he’s managed to not only avoid giving viewers the ick but also make them fall for him all the more. And since he first graced our screens, the most online GBBO fans have been racking their brains to describe just what is so alluring about the bearded baker with an eyebrow slit and a heart of gold. One X user remarked that he looks like the would-be child of Khal Drogo and Daenerys from Game of Thrones, while another stated that we simply need to “discuss” him. The official GBBO account is also in on the bit.

Simply Psychology

Outside of Dylan being ridiculously good-looking, he is also an extraordinarily talented baker, crafting unique flavor combinations like yuzu-and-mint biscuits and gochujang-garlic buns, and demonstrating his skill by hand painting scenes based on the work of Japanese artist Hokusai. He’s spoken about being inspired by his heritage, noting he’s “super-proud of his fusion roots,” nodding to his Indian Mother and Japanese-Belgian father.

Below are some of the Eater staff’s favorite bits of commentary from various corners of the internet praising Dylan for being not only talented, but also hot and fashionable. Thank you, Dylan, for your service.