Bake Off finalist on brink of fortune denies fraudulent benefits claims

♦ A Great British Bake Off finalist has denied committing benefits fraud after reportedly failing to tell the authorities that she was living with her partner.

Sophie Faldo, a former Army officer, claimed for help with housing costs under the single person’s allowance.

Her Bake Off biography, issued in August before the series began, describes her as living in Surrey with her boyfriend, David.

According to The Sun, this was noticed by an investigator at the Department for Work and Pensions.

A Bake Off spokesman said: “Sophie has recently declared a change in her circumstances to DWP.

“Any suggestion of benefit fraud relating to Sophie is categorically untrue.”

Faldo, 33, is in tonight’s final with Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-bailey, who is bookmakers’ favourite, with Lyon the outsider. The final was recorded in the summer, with the results being kept under wraps until the broadcast.

Although the Bake Off winner takes home only a cakestand trophy and flowers, they stand to gain much more in money terms through cook books, guest appearances, cooking schools, newspaper columns and even novels.