A BRAND new set of amateur bakers are heading into the tent tonight to showcase their skills on The Great British Bake Off.
But a former finalist on the show has now revealed that the baking hopefuls may have met judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith already – and they most likely have their favourites.
Kimberley Wilson got to the finals of the 2013 series of Bake Off, eventually won by Frances Quinn.
Now a psychologist, she’s revealed all the secrets from the show – including the gruelling start times and what happens to the food afterwards.
Technical challenge BEFORE the show
A keen baker, Kimberley was 30 when she decided to apply for Bake Off.
Following an extensive 16-page application form, including “your history in food, what you like to make, and kitchen disasters,” successful candidates are given an interview with producers.
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“It’s basically a clearing interview, where you bring something in, and they check whether you actually made the cake yourself or just bought it,” laughs Kimberley. “They’re like, ‘So what was the recipe for that?’”
Following that round is a screen test “to see whether you freeze on TV or not”, and then after that you do a live test.
She explains: “You basically do a technical challenge, as like a little test before you’re on the show.
“In my year, Paul and Mary Berry judged it!”
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'Like a marathon'
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