BAKE OFF: Are the contestants really amateurs?

She has also already been tipped by Ladbrokes as the favourite to win the competition, which has always prided itself on being a contest that pits amateurs with a passion for baking against each other, rather than professional chefs.

Despite her experience, Marie said in a show Q&A she was “in awe” of Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood during filming. However, none of the contestants – who hail from Surrey, Berkshire, Lancashire, Cambridgeshire, London, West Yorkshire, Manchester, Essex, Swansea, Perthshire and Paris – is known to have connections to the Suffolk town. Is it fair to pit a home cook against a semi-professional? “Love Productions (the producers of Bake Off) knew about my patisserie training, which was only for a week and was a long time ago”.

“There are strict criteria to taking part in the show and Marie met that criteria”. A spokeswoman told the Mail that her cupcake business isn’t her main income and she had another chef helping her run the kitchen at Duisdale House Hotel. She gained a certificate for one week’s training in Paris in 1984, more than 10 years ago. The turning point came in her thirties when Marie moved to Paris with her family and was inspired by all the French patisseries. But despite never mentioning it in their promotional material, Campbell confessed last night (9 August) that the show knew about her baking history.

Previous baking stars from the show have defended Marie over the scandal.

Betting on the Bake Off was suspended last week when the name of this year’s victor was reportedly leaked. However most of the bakers got off to an iffy start as they anxious about the size of their walnuts and how small they should chop them.

Meanwhile 2012 victor John Whaite has called the furore “a load of fuss over nothing”.

Berry has had ten books issued since the show the Great British Bake Off began, selling 1.2 million copies and Hollywood has produced four books which have sold 593,000 copies.