A ‘BUBBLY, confident’ schoolgirl from Bury is making her friends and family proud when she appears on television screens across the country.

Aleena is showcasing her baking skills by starring on this year’s Junior Bake Off.

Aleena, aged 15, taught herself to bake when she was just nine, and has continued to develop her skills by watching YouTube tutorials.

Her family, including her parents and three siblings, have been her chief taste testers ever since.

Brother Faizan, aged 20, said: “It is amazing that Aleena has been chosen for the programme. We are super proud of her. She is a really confident, bubbly young girl.

“She is an ace at making croissants. They take two or three days to prove and she has mastered it.

“She is really good with flavours. She is really bold and she is known for her bakes being ‘banging’. She just loves baking; it is an escape from everything.

“I hadn’t seen the episode in advance so I was really looking forward to watching it on Monday.

“I think she has made her family and friends incredibly proud.”

Filming for the Channel 4 programme took place over the summer when former Fairfield Primary School pupil Aleena had the chance to meet celebrity judges Prue Leith, Bake Off alumni Liam Charles, and host of the show comedian Harry Hill.

Manchester United fan Aleena, who enjoys playing basketball and football, was one of some 4,000 young people aged nine to 15 who applied to go on the show.

She is up against 19 contestants to prove herself the best.

So high was the standard of baking on the first day none of the budding chefs were sent home.

Prue Leith said: "We did not have a bad cake, it does not seem fair to say off you go , but it will make it worse for us tomorrow because we will have to send two people home."

Junior Bake Off aired at 5pm on Monday and every weekday thereafter for three weeks.