The Truth About Rebs From Great British Bake Off Season 13

At 23 years old, Rebecca (Rebs) Lightbody is one of the younger contestants on Season 13 of "The Great British Bake Off," but that doesn't mean she should be underestimated by viewers. Hailing from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Lightbody is a diligent student (as shown by her Pi Day creation on Instagram) with a serious passion for baking. She launched her baking Instagram account, @rebsbakes, in January of 2021, with her first post showcasing a rich chocolate cake she made for the new year.

Lightbody's culinary background dates back to helping her mother in the kitchen when she was three years old, according to her profile on the GBBO website. Food has long been a source of comfort for the contestant. Although her passion for food stems from her early days eating her grandmother's signature lemon meringue pie, working in tech has led her to find a newfound appreciation in the more relaxing activity of baking.

Although the first episode of GBBO Season 13 has yet to premiere — it will be postponed due to Queen Elizabeth II's recent passing — Lightbody has already gotten significant support for her journey on the show. Lightbody has a boyfriend whose favorite Turkish flavors she has begun to incorporate into her baking, per the show's website. He'll presumably be cheering her on from back home — whether or not she brings Middle Eastern tradition to the white tent.

The young chef also has some esteemed backing behind her. Rahul Mandal, who won the competition in 2018, stated that he was a fan of Lightbody's TikTok account, where she occasionally posts food content. He commented on GBBO's Instagram post about the contestant, "Aww Rebs, you are so beautiful and your tiktoks are awesome, so as your bakes! Please be my bake off sister." Furthermore, her alma mater, Ballymena Academy, tweeted, "We wish you well Rebecca and will be supporting you all the way!"