A former Bake Off contestant has shared his "stressful" experiences from the tent, as well as a number of tense rules put in place by producers.
Dan Beasley-Harling, 40, appeared on Great British Bake Off in 2018 and managed to get three handshakes from Paul Hollywood, before before leaving in week six. But Dan revealed the much-loved baking show is in fact "incredibly stressful" and said contestants aren't allowed watches so they have no concept of time in the tent.
Dan said dawn until dusk filming schedules and complicated challenges sometimes even left him with stress rashes. He revealed producers would sometimes have to extend the length of time left for challenges if everyone was struggling to complete their bake.
READ MORE: The Great British Bake Off viewers slam Paul Hollywood's comments
The dad-of-two, who now teaches baking classes, said "every contestant" shed a tear or two due to the pressure - as constant camera filming and interviews slowed them even more.
Dan, from London, said: "The experience of being in the tent is an absolute nightmare to be honest. I'm anxious and a perfectionist by nature.
"When you do well it's great but most of the time you're in panic mode. So that countdown when you're told you have one minute left - all that scrabbling around is very real. It's down to the wire with seconds to spare."
Dan won star baker in week four for his Florida Roulade, raspberry Blancmange and melting chocolate ball showstopper. But it wasn't all plain sailing.
He explained that, while on TV, it looks like a calm and relaxed atmosphere in the tent, it's actually a far cry from reality. Dan added: "On the wide shots it looks a big empty tent. The other 96 percent of the time that aisle is full with around 30 people."
Dan also said that throughout the baking challenges they are being questioned constantly. He said: "When you're at home you can get your head down and finish the challenge within the time limit.
"But when you're in the tent with a camera pointed at you, the time just evaporates. On the week I went home, I had stress rashes up and down my arms. It really was unbelievably stressful."
Another thing that's very real is the sweltering temperature in the tent - because they're not allowed air conditioning. Dan explained that fans and air-con units were too loud and would interfere with filming, so it was exceptionally hot - as the programme is filmed over the summer months.
He said: "It's an enclosed space with about 50 people in the tent and ovens on all the time. On top of that there's studio lighting over you - it is roasting hot in there."
Dan confessed sometimes the heat could be quite "convenient" for bakers to hide behind when they mess up.
As for the other contestants on the show, Dan explained the "wholesome" family vibe it gives off is more complex. Dan said some people are "as nice as they seem", but others "have their eyes on more than the Bake Off trophy".
He said: "It sounds stupid, but when I went on, I didn't realise the extent it was a TV show. Some people had obviously prepared witty puns and comments for during interviews, but it had never occurred to me to try and present myself in a certain way.
"There's three competitions in Bake Off really - the competition to win the show, the competition to be the public favourite and the competition to be the most successful after. Actually, those are quite often three different people.
"In my season, I found there were people clearly wanting to be the public sweetheart. At the time, I remember thinking 'maybe you should just concentrate on the baking' - that's what I thought we were there for."
Dan said he also experienced some unexpected backlash after coming off the show - despite it seeming wholesome and family-friendly. He said the worst part came after he left - when he was trolled heavily on Twitter to the point that he stopped checking the app altogether to avoid it.
Dan said: "I came off the show and for a week or two after, I got death threats. I got so much abuse. If I don't like someone, I don't really feel a need to go and tell them. What's the point? It doesn't benefit you - it's very odd.
"It's lovely for the people that the public warm to, but really tough for the ones they aren't. It's a doubled-edged sword. I think one thing to remember when you're watching is that these are not characters in a play.
"They're real people and they do actually read what you write about them on Twitter.
"At the end of the day everyone's just trying their best - and making themselves very vulnerable for your entertainment. I had some good opportunities afterwards, but please remember to be kind."
Channel 4 has been approached for comment.
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