Not every season had a Sussex contestant, and no one from East or West Sussex has won yet – although fans of Jurgen from Season 13 might argue he should have won – but the counties have had plenty of representation over the years.
Season 15 is set to air on Tuesday, September 24, on Channel 4, and will see the return of series hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding, alongside judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
5. Kate Henry
A furniture restorer from Brighton, Kate presented herself as a wild, experimental baker, rarely measuring her ingredients or following recipes, and treating every new challenge like an exercise in gastronomic creativity. That unorthodox approach served her well in season 5; winning her Star Baker in episode five, and putting her among the season's best in episodes three and four. By episode seven, however, when her rhubarb prune and apple pies didn't impress Paul Hollywood and co, it was curtains. Photo: Great British Bake Off. Photo: Great British Bake Off
6. Julia Chernogorova
Originally from Kemerovo, Siberia, Julia was living in Crawley with her British husband when she appeared on season eight of the Great British bake off, breaking a two-season long streak free of any representation from Sussex. A lifelong baker, she had to save up money from her school job to buy ingredients as a child and spent several years teaching herself how to bake Great British classics after dreaming of appearing on the show. All that hard work paid dividends, and she was made star baker in episode three, when her Snail Under a Mushroom Bread left an impression on judges, but she was sadly eliminated in episode six. Photo: Great British Bake Off
7. Linda Rayfield
Linda Rayfield, a Retirement Living Team Leader from Bexhill, specialised in classics and home comfort baking inspired by her childhood in the countryside, but, after a strong showing in the first five episodes, she was eliminated in episode six, after coming dead last in the technical challenge. Photo: Great British Bake Off
8. Lottie Bedlow
Something of a fan favourite in Season 11, where she competed alongside Linda Rayfield, Lottie Bedlow, from Brighton, brought a perfectionist's eye for detail and a dark sense of humour to several of her bakes, which impressed judges and fans alike. She was star baker in episode six after a stellar performance across all three challenges, but fell short in episode seven, when she was eliminated. Photo: Great British Bake Off