Sophie goes from tutus to tea cakes... via the Army

SOPHIE FALDO may have the grace befitting a former ballerina but she also has the fighting spirit required to battle it out in the most demanding series of Bake Off yet.

Sophie, 34, from West Molesey, Surrey, is a third cousin of golfer Nick Faldo.

In 2010 she spent a year serving as an officer with the Royal Artillery in Afghanistan.

Her mother Lindy, although immensely proud of her daughter, dreaded every day of Sophie’s tour of duty.

She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Sophie fought for her country. She was into ballet, then suddenly she joined the Army. Where did that come from? It was the worst year of my life.’ Sophie left the military in 2011 and is now training to be a stuntwoman. She was entered for the competition by boyfriend David Slattery, who may be offering her some tips as he is a chef at the prestigious Palm Hotel restaurant in Dubai. She lives with him and their cat, Loki.

Like her famous cousin, Sophie loves sport, including rowing and track cycling, for which she picked up a gold medal at the National Track Masters Championships.

Unsurprisingly, Lindy, 66, is relieved to watch her daughter engaging in a more sedate activity. She said before the show started: ‘I’ve never watched Bake Off but I shall definitely enjoy watching Sophie on there.’