IT could have been the Great Bolton Bake Off — as one of the show's stars wowed the audience with a sumptuous dish of chocolate and hazelnut bread.

Luis Troyano, who was a runner up in the Great British Bake Off last year, gave a demonstration in Bolton Market.

Since coming so close to winning the competition, Luis has given up his day job running an advertising agency, and recently released his first book, Bake It Great.

Luis, from Stockport, said his life has been turned upside down since his appearance on the show.

He said: "It has changed massively, I am full time with baking now. I am very lucky because I get a mixture of things to do, my book came out last week, which was quite a big undertaking, and I do teaching, I do food festivals.

"I am usually a visitor here at the show, I am usually the one walking around but this year I am the guy working here, so that was a little bit strange."

During his demonstration, the 43-year-old revealed the intensive process involved in applying for the show, which features Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

He said that applicants receive a phone call out of the blue testing them on their baking knowledge, that they have to attend a boot camp at catering college, and that they even have to see a psychologist.

Luis said: "It is a very long and intricate process. The whole bake off takes up about a year of your life.

"I started baking about nine years ago seriously. I just filled out the form for the show and was lucky enough to make it."

He added that during his demonstrations, his main aim is to convey that anyone can learn how to bake.

Luis said: "It is a demo which I really enjoy doing, because it demystifies how to make something really intricate. Somebody might look at that and think I would never be able to make that, but its actually really simple."

Luis will also take part in a question and answer session alongside Lisa Faulkner and Dragons Den's Phil Perera and Omar Farag this afternoon.