Marie Campbell became the second contestant to leave the tent in the Great British Bake Off on Wednesday night’s programme. It represented a remarkable fall from grace for one of the favourites, who was the star baker in week one.
The travel photographer Ian Cumming was named as the star baker in the second episode.
“My best moment was being star baker in episode one and, of course, meeting Mary and Paul. I think I have been a fan of Mary’s far longer than anyone else in the series,” Marie said.
“I didn’t have a worst moment as every moment was a fabulous experience for me. Some grannies want to bungee jump, but for me it was always to get on Bake Off.”
Marie was at the centre of a controversy when the Mail on Sunday revealed that she had trained for a week at the internationally-renowned Ecole Escoffier at the Ritz and later ran a bakery.
But the BBC said she had not broken any competition rules because the training was more than 10 years ago and she employed a baker to work in the kitchen of her business.
Marie said the programme gave her confidence in her baking. “Where Paul said my Madeira cake was perfect on the show, I just have to keep rewinding that bit on the tape.”
She added: “It has been a fantastic experience for me, and I have enjoyed it from beginning to end. I live in a small village and I am only now getting used to being recognised. It is a bit surreal, but I just have a bit of a giggle about it. The family are really proud.
“What I want to do in the future is to bake with my grandchildren; they can learn a lot from it, particularly with weights and measurements, and learning their numbers. I try and pass on family events from days gone by, how I had to walk to the farm as a child to get eggs. We didn’t have a fridge until I was about six, and the milk was kept outside the window. I know these stories penetrate as it comes out in their school projects. For me that is pure pleasure.”
