Worksop born Dan was the first baker to leave the Great British Bake Off tent

Last night (Tuesday, August 27) the 10th series of the Great British Bake Off started and 13 amateur bakers entered the tent for the first time.
Dan ChambersDan Chambers
Dan Chambers

Among the baker's dozen was Dan Chambers, 32, who was born in Worksop, and he hoped to impress the judges, Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, in Cake Week.But sadly it 'wasn't a piece of cake' for Dan and the end of the episode saw him being named as the first baker to leave the tent.Facing the challenges of Cake Week the bakers had to tackle a fruit cake.Then the gingham cloth revealed the ingredients for a retro classic technical challenge demanding precision and intricate decoration of an Angel Slice Cake. And finally they had to make a showstopper that took them back to their childhoods with a birthday cake of their dreams. Dan said: "Well it wasn’t a piece of cake at all."I love fruit cake and it hasn’t put me off making one, but next time I won’t make it in three hours. I love the long process of making a Christmas cake and I feed it over the weeks and it always turns out a beautiful cake. I get lots of compliments from the family at Christmas."Even though I was the first off it felt like I had been part of the family for a long time, going through the auditions, the practices. "The first week is a settling in process so I felt like I had been there a long time. I was of course devastated and sad to go but I knew I was coming back for the final. "When I did leave I was counting down the days to the final, and it was a great day meeting up with everybody because it seemed like the longest time ever for me waiting for the final."Dan had applied for the series a few times and he was determined to get on the show.He said: "You can always apply, but it’s out of your hands whether you get in or not. "It was always on my bucket list and I was adamant that I would get in there sometime, 100 per cent."I did apply a few times before and I think I would have kept applying if I hadn’t got in. This time I had a good feeling that I would get in and I was right."It felt like a really lucky day when I heard that I got in."Dan brought his laughter and fun personality into the tent.He said: "I think I have got quite a fun personality, if I can make people smile or laugh then I am happy, because it makes me laugh, and I was a bit like that in the tent."I do like to joke around but I did take the baking seriously."The first challenge Dan faced as to make a fruit cake and he hoped to impress the judges with his Jamaican rum cake but he made the brave decision to add more fruit in the last second.And for the Showstopper challenge Dan went back to his childhood and made a pirate themed birthday cake.Dan said: "Paul said my fruitcake was raw in the first challenge but the flavour of the booze was good. "He loved the design of my Pirate Island cake with the dry ice waterfall. It’s the nature of the show when something goes wrong on that particular week, you’ve had it, and I understand how the show works and I felt it was the right decision that I should go."My best moment overall was meeting the other bakers, and that was one of the reasons I was sad to leave. "I knew I was going to miss talking to people that felt like I did about baking, and we bonded instantly, it was very strange but very lovely at the same time"My worst moment was the Signature for me, so I knew my Showstopper had to totally wow to save me, and that was a lot of pressure. "When I heard that the judging wasn’t amazing, I really knew I was going, so I was prepared for it when they announced it."If I had a chance to do it again, I would use another recipe for the fruit cake."Of course it wouldn't be the Great British Bake Off without the judges and the presenters.Dan said: "For me it felt like it would be harder to impress Paul, he’s a bit tougher to crack, and of course I totally respect Prue’s comments. "And Noel and Sandi, oh man that was so surreal and so fun. They made it so much easier and after a bit of chatting with them you don’t really notice the cameras at all. "You do feel you are just having a nice chat and a laugh. They are both people I really look up to and then you find yourself in the tent against the clock, thinking oh no, I haven’t really got time to talk to you two now."Dan is married to Laura and they now live in Rotherham with their three dogs.Dan said: "I don’t know what I would have done without my family throughout the whole process. "It’s quite an intense journey from audition to the recipe development, and beyond. "I would run ideas by my wife, and she would sit with me while I was practicing and just support me and it really helped, and my parents were amazing."Dan will now be watching the rest of the series and supporting his fellow bakers but is sad he didn't make it to dessert week.He said: "Desserts are one of my specialities so it’s a shame that I missed out on that week, but I will be watching what the other bakers make. "I watched the first episode with my friends and family and it was a bit of teapot vibe instead of drink, but with lots of cakes and definitely desserts."As a life experience I learned so much from it, from meeting new people from the bakers to the crew and production team, I learned from them all in a different way."And it is not the last we will see of Dan on our screens as he will be appearing on An Extra Slice on Friday night at 8pm on Channel 4.Dan said: "I love Tom Allen, who doesn’t? He is such a great comedian and presenter, and I am so looking forward to meeting Jo Brand on An Extra Slice. "Although it might be a bit scary in front of an audience I am really looking forward to coming to London with my wife and making a weekend of it."At the end of the first episode Noel announced that Michelle was the Star Baker and Sandi had the job of telling Dan that he would be leaving the tent. After hearing the news Dan said: ‘I had a bad week, but I will definitely take away the friendships. I am not going to miss the baking under pressure, I’m just going to miss everyone in that tent.Paul said: "He is a great baker Dan, but unfortunately it all boiled down to his signature bake, and that was the cause of him going."