Bake Off 2023: New bakers reveal the secrets of the tent

The Great British Bake Off's 2023 cast has shared insight into what the show is really like behind the scenes and the secrets of the Channel 4 show's iconic tent.

Speaking ahead of the show's return on Tuesday, 26 September, several bakers revealed how being in the tent is not what it looks like on TV, namely that there are countless crew members on hand to help the bakers, including giving them a spoon if they need it.

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Abbi shared, "I was super impressed and amazed by how many crew can fit into the tent and yet are never in shot once the series is edited together—the central aisle between the benches was basically full of crew the whole time!

"It was really nice because at any moment you could look up and ask for another spatula and someone would produce one from their back pocket in under 20 seconds. I could do with a system like that at home!"

Dana added that like most viewers at home she believed the bakers would be alone in the tent with hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, and the camera operators, but was shocked to realise it wasn't.

"When you watch the show, you think it's just the bakers on the floor but in reality the floor was packed full with so many people," she explained.

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The crew aren't just on hand to help if bakers need a spare spatula, there's also people who help them with cleaning during the challenges so that the bakers workstations always look pristine.

Amos joked about it, saying: "I didn’t realise that I didn’t have to do my own washing up! That was such a relief for me as I was practising my timings to include having to wash up after myself."

Cristy added that she "never realised how many people would be involved in the tent" and was amazed by "the huge food team constantly on stand by with spatulas/bowls etc."

Rowan heaped praise on the Bake Off crew for being "as big a part of the experience as the baking was" and said: "Every single one of them helped us be the best versions of ourselves.

"From the runners who made the operation run as smoothly as possible to the producers who asked us questions at the most stressful times, they were the creme de la creme, and it's easy to forget just how magnificent these TV wizards are."

Bake Off will see 12 contestants enter the tent and compete in various baking challenges in a bid to win Star Baker each week, and eventually be crowned the winner of the competition.

The Great British Bake Off returns on Tuesday, 26 September.