I was on Bake Off and contestants are shaking with fear and get injured – but you never see it on TV

AN EX BAKE Off Star has exclusively opened up on the “traumatic” nature of the Channel 4 show’s opening week.

Val Stones, who became a firm fan favourite back in 2016, was first to tell us of the “utterly crowded” Channel 4 show tent where lots of hands were left “shaking.”

BBC

Bake Off star Val Stones has opened up on the show’s ‘traumatic’ first week[/caption]

Val, who was dubbed the Cake Whisperer during her Great British Bake Off stint, told us: “The first week is really traumatic, your hands are shaking and I saw some hands shaking.

“You get the cut fingers on the first week.

“I always say ask me on the second week [who will win] when they have a time to settle in.”

Talking of her experience, which saw her being the fifth contestant to leave the tent in the seventh series of the hit TV show, Val added: “You’re working in a space that is only about seven foot long. And you can’t use any other space.

“It’s utterly crowded. People don’t get that when they watch it.

“They see it as serene. But when you’re in the tent in those three week it’s hugely full of people. It’s huge.

“You’re busy. And you have to elbow your way through people to get to get a bowl or a plate and you don’t know where this is or that is and what have you.

“It’s incredible. It’s not a bit like what you see on TV.”

Talking of her relationship with judge Paul Hollywood, she said: “I was the only one who ever stood stood up to Paul because I was the oldest.

“Sometimes he would say to us, ‘have you not practiced at all?’

“And all the others are worried you know they were younger, but I’ve been a head teacher and I take no notice.

“I’d say, ‘by the way Paul have you ever made 24 identical churros yourself? I bet you haven’t.'”

Val was booted off the show following a pretty disastrous pastry week, which saw her come seventh in the technical challenge.

But the appearance on the series propelled her to Instagram fame, giving her some 50,000 followers on the social media platform.

Instagram

Val was the fifth star to be booted off the show in 2016[/caption]

Instagram

Val exclusively told us how the Bake Off tent is ‘utterly crowded’[/caption]

Rex