Louis Theroux is known for his investigative journalism, and now he’s exposed a secret from the set of The Great British Bake Off. 

The documentary maker appeared on a Stand Up To Cancer special of the Channel 4 show earlier this year, and has now spilled the beans on something we’d long suspected. 

Louis revealed that when the presenters inform the contestants how much time they have left during each round, it’s not actually true.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan, he said: “The secret I’m going to tell you is that when they say ‘Bakers, you have 15 minutes left,’ they do those irrespective of the time.

“They get them as a shot. They basically say to you, ‘Just ignore that – we need that shot.’”

Of course, Louis took part in the Bake Off before a number of changes were introduced for the most recent series due to the pandemic. 

All of the cast and crew had to live in a self-contained biosphere for six weeks at Down Hall in Essex so they could film without having to socially distance on camera. 

The hosts, judges and bakers lived alongside 80 members of the production team, 20 hotel staff, and around 20 “children, chaperones and dog walkers” during the six-week shoot. 

Prior to moving in to the hotel, people had to self-isolate for nine days and take three Covid tests to ensure they did not have the virus.