Peterborough's Great British Bake Off winner Matty Edgell reveals behind the scenes secrets of Channel 4 show

Formerly a PE and science teacher in Hampton College, Matty went on to win the GBBO 2023 series.

With Celebrity British Bake Off currently airing on Channel 4, Matty spoke to Lottoland about what viewers don’t see in the tent.

From 12-hour filming days to producers controlling conversations, Matty said: “You’re in the tent from about 7am and don’t leave until 6 or 7 at night. I remember thinking - it’s an hour show, how can it take that long? But they weren’t lying.”

“If we went out for dinner, we had producers with us at all times. If conversation started to go towards Bake Off, they’d shut it down straight away.”

“The first thing they do is take your phones off you. You’ve got nothing else to do but talk to each other - which is probably why everyone gets so close.”

Matty also reveals that contestants spend far less time with the judges than viewers may expect.

“The first time we met the judges was during what they call the ‘Royal Tour’ - that’s when they come round while you’re baking and you introduce your dish.”

“You don’t actually get to spend much time with them. They’re not in the tent as much as you think, and there’s no time where you’re just chatting with them.”

“It feels strange at first, but it makes sense - they can’t build any bias or favour certain bakers.”

Some surprising filming tricks viewers never see were also discussed. He added:

“You have to walk into the tent twice every time for filming. Then you just stand there staring forward for about 10 minutes while they get different shots.”

“The showstopper judging goes on for about 10 minutes, but you only see the harshest comments. They actually explain in detail how you can improve.”

“If you’re about to mess something up, suddenly every camera is on you. That’s when you realise - this isn’t going to go well.”

The new series of Celebrity British Bake Off