Alison Hammond had to make changes at Bake Off due to weight concerns after plea for help

Alison Hammond is set to return to the iconic Bake Off tent this year with a noticeably slimmer figure, after enlisting the help of her co-host Noel Fielding to keep her away from temptation, and changing her cake tasting strategy behind-the-scenes.

The 49-year-old has lost an impressive 11 stone following a total revamp of her diet and exercise routine. At her heaviest, weighing in at 28 stone, Alison confessed she felt as though she was "really dying".

Recently, she gave fans a glimpse into her intense workout regime on Instagram, sharing a video of herself weightlifting and boxing. However, Alison admits that hosting The Great British Bake Off could have potentially derailed her diet.

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This revelation comes after Alison confessed that she had gained a stone during last year's series because she was "literally there for the cake". As reported by MailOnline, Alison disclosed it took her a year to shed the weight she put on during the previous season.

She said: "But I love that show for the cake. People don't realise I am literally there for the cake.

"After every bake you're allowed to taste every bake and last year I put on a stone. It's taken me a year to take that stone off."

However, this time around, Alison has decided to make a crucial adjustment to her approach - consuming fewer cakes and instead reserving herself for bakes that earned the coveted "Hollywood handshake" from judge Paul Hollywood.

In an interview with MyWeekly magazine, Alison shared: "Instead of eating the whole amount, I had little tastes here and there. I was quite good. I only had it when Paul did a handshake."

Paul and Prue Leith, the judges of the show, along with co-presenter Noel Fielding, often mention the "Bake Off stone" - referring to the weight they put on from tasting the delicious bakes. Noel, 51, recently addressed Alison's struggle to resist the baked goods.

In a chat with The Guardian, he revealed: "She tried to eat less this year but Alison's quite childlike. She said: 'Noel, stop me eating cake, I want to be good.'

"The next time I saw her, she was literally like [he mimes shovelling in cake]. Alison has a good time all the time. You don't want her to not be eating the cakes."

The Great British Bake Off is scheduled to make its comeback on Channel 4 on September 24 at 8pm.