Marie Campbell: Great British Bake Off favourite is professionally trained

He added that excitement was already building ahead of BBC series The Great British Bake Off returning to screens on Wednesday (August 5) as bakeware sales increased by 55% and baking tray sales “rose by an incredible 881%”. “Too many semi Pro Bakers”.

SHOW favourite Marie Campbell was crowned star baker in week one by Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. The show stipulates that any potential GBBO contestants must not have professional catering qualifications acquired within the last ten years – and they cannot have worked full time as a chef, cook or baker.

She is then reported to have gone on to run a school for chefs and a cupcake baking business.

“There are strict criteria to taking part in the show and Marie met that criteria”, the rep said.

Marie Campbell, who has been pegged as a potential victor of the amateur baking contest, has come under fire for having professional training at a Parisian cookery school.

‘She gained a certificate for one week’s training in Paris in 1984, more than 10 years ago.

Other contestants including Flora Shedden, Tamal Ray, Alvin Magallanes and Ugne Bubnaityte have also showed their skills online.

Marie’s first challenge on the show was to bake a Madeira cake which the judges later deemed “perfect” and her classic black forest gateau also went down a storm, but the Mail on Sunday have learnt that Marie learnt her craft from Paris’s best bakers.

Asked about her wealth of experience and training, Marie said: “I really can’t talk to you, I’m sorry”.

Details previously released by the programme makers stated that Marie had “come a long way since she couldn’t boil an egg” and said that she was “inspired” to bake by the patisseries in Paris when she moved there with her family 30 years ago.

Winners and previous finalists have however managed to get their own cookbooks published following appearances on the hit show.