Calgary heart specialist takes on the Great Canadian Baking Show

Cardiologist Dr. Angela Kealey, MD, PGME'08, had the experience of a lifetime as a contestant on Season 10 of the Great Canadian Baking Show. Now airing on CBC television, the show brings 10 amateur Canadian bakers together to compete in a series of themed culinary challenges. 

“Being on the show has been one of the top five experiences of my life,” says Kealey, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Cardiac Sciences at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine and the site lead for cardiology at the Foothills Medical Centre. “Experiencing television behind the scenes has been challenging and eye-opening, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.” 

Despite maintaining a busy clinical practice, which includes working in the catheterization lab where she performs cardiac procedures, for Kealey baking is, at minimum, a weekly occurrence. It’s something she has been doing for 50 years. 

“My mom started baking with me at age three, and we spent a lot of time in the kitchen,” says Kealey, adding she learned to bake bread as a teen alongside her dad. “My KitchenAid mixer stays out on the counter and never gets put away.”

From creating elaborate birthday cakes for her now-adult children, to muffins, cookies, cheesecake and bread, Kealey has done it all. It’s something that Kealey’s friends, family and colleagues all know, and appreciate, about her. 

“I am always the person who brings dessert, and I often get requests,” says Kealey with a laugh. “I also try to show my gratitude by bringing treats for the catheterization lab and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) staff and nurses.” 

Kealey’s colleagues are not only hugely supportive of her hobby, but it was Dr. Anna Bizios, MD'06, PGME'13, who made it possible for Kealey to attend the open audition for the Great Canadian Baking Show in Edmonton in early 2026. 

“I was scheduled to work in the Cath Lab on the day of the audition, so I asked Anna to switch shifts with me,” explains Kealey. “Bizios’ response was an enthusiastic, ‘Yes, I love that show!’”

The audition was a success, and, in the spring of 2026, Kealey found herself living her dream baking in the show’s famous tent. 

But it wasn’t without significant effort. Kealey spent the six weeks prior to filming perfecting and practising her recipes. Filming required between 12-15 hours per day of focused work on the set, all while under strict baking timelines and in hot and humid conditions.

“It was exhausting, but so interesting,” says Kealey of the experience. “Cooking in the tent is not at all like cooking in your own kitchen. The conditions are very different and you are surrounded by many people. I can also confirm that the clock is real — when they say two hours, it really is two hours.” 

Fortunately, Kealey has acquired several skills in her medical career that helped her in the pressure cooker of the tent. 

These include time management, organization and scheduling, all of which Kealey says were vital for success. She also called on another skill developed by working with her patients. 

“One of my superpowers is the ability to work while distracted,” says Kealey. “I talk a lot to patients during procedures to make them more comfortable and to distract them from parts of the procedure like giving them a needle. That made it easier to be able to answer questions for the cameras while continuing baking.” 

For Kealey, the people made it all worth it, from the camera, lighting and audio technicians to the producers, hosts and the bakers.

“The people were all amazing,” says Kealey. “And now I feel like I am part of that community.” 

For the show, Kealey created a chocolate-chai Battenburg cake, Nanaimo cheesecake, and the showstopper, a vanilla-blueberry-lime cake, decorated to reflect one of her favourite Lake Louise area spots: the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Kealey was thrilled to be chosen as the episode’s star baker. 

Kealey has been surprised at the amount of support she’s received from the medical community. Not only has she heard from numerous patients and former colleagues from around the country, but her co-workers have gone above and beyond with their enthusiasm.

“My nurse colleagues held a watch party for the first episode,” says Kealey, adding they created and have been wearing “Team Angie” buttons in support of her baking show journey. “They been phenomenal cheerleaders.”

The Great Canadian Baking Show's latest season premiered on Oct. 4 and airs every Sunday at 8 p.m. until Nov. 22 on CBC and CBC Gem. Stay tuned to watch Kealey’s journey on the show.