A PEMBROKESHIRE mum is in the mix to challenge for this year’s Great British Bake-Off crown.

Michelle Evans-Fecci of Tenby has beat off competition from thousands of hopefuls to be chosen to take part in the nation’s favourite culinary contest.

Well-known locally for her cakes and bakes, Michelle, 35, is a self-taught baker.

She first fell in love with baking as a child, watching her mother cook at home on their farm in Carmarthenshire.

She works as an administrator in the Tenby print shop, Trade Canvas Print, which is owned by her husband Ben Fecci.

To the delight of her husband and teenage son, she bakes almost every other day, with fresh bread for breakfast and sweet treats for pudding always on the menu. She loves to experiment with flavour combinations, using seasonal produce from her own garden.

Michelle first applied for GBBO back in 2015, when she reached the short-list of 50 out of around 13,000 applicants.

She said: “I was so emotional when I found out, I cry when I am happy and cry when I am sad. I have wanted it for so long, so I couldn’t believe it.”

The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday August 27, the third series since it moved across from BBC One.

The presenters and judges remain the same, with Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig back for another year of puns.

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will also be on hand to judge the best bakes produced in the famous white tent.

This year's line-up consists of a baker's dozen - 13 - instead of the usual 12, and there's a decidedly younger contingent.

A geography teacher, a vet and a fashion designer are amongst the challengers.

More than half of the contestants are in their 20s, while the oldest contestant is 56.