Bake Off’s Ruby Bhogal reveals she turned down Dancing on Ice after childhood trauma as she announces huge career move

RUBY Bhogal is a TV regular six years after finishing as runner-up in the famous Great British Bake Off tent.

But there’s one big entertainment show you’ll never see her on – despite an offer from studio bosses.

The baking queen, 35, turned down a place on Dancing On Ice due to a painful childhood memory.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun ahead of the release of her new Chocolate Butter, Ruby said: “I was asked after Bake Off to do a few of the reality shows. One in particular included ice skating.

“Considering I broke my arm when I was a child ice skating, that was a flat no from me straight away.

“But the ones that I do enjoy doing, I don’t know why I do it to myself because my general knowledge is terrible, but I can’t ever say no to a quiz show.

“I do it more so for entertainment when I’m watching it back because I will always do dreadfully bad.

“I did Weakest Link. I don’t even know where I came out in that. I filmed Mastermind just the other week.

“But it’s a great experience. It’s great fun. You get to meet so many different people and, you know, I tend to meet people that my mum watches on the soap and I do it mostly for her.”

Prior to it being axed by Channel 4, Ruby spent three years as a guest chef on Steph’s Packed Lunch and relished every moment, even the times things didn’t quite go to plan.

She said: “I think the way that I look at it is in, you know, TV is fantastic and it’s a really great opportunity.

“It was an incredible experience because live TV is no joke. Live TV and cooking is no joke. Anytime there was a mistake, watching what you’ve got to say, being engaging, it was such a phenomenal experience.”

Away from screens, kitchen whizz Ruby has had a very busy year releasing her latest book, One Bake Two Ways, which includes 50 recipes that can be easily adapted for vegans, and tomorrow her game-changing new product, Chocolate Butter, will be released.

Created in partnership with All Things Butter, the butter brand owned by celebrity chef Thomas Straker, the invention arrived in a “lightbulb moment”.

Ruby said: “We started talking about the sweet butters, I was like, ‘why does this not even exist? This is exactly what’s been missing from my kitchen’.

“I grew up very much enjoying chocolate spread sandwiches as a kid. It’s something that I love to indulge in still now as an adult. And we wanted to make sure that whilst we were developing and exploring the idea of chocolate butter, we wanted to make sure it still had that kind of nostalgic feel, but really hitting that note of something that’s luxurious, something that’s indulgent.

“It’s the first of its kind as well, there’s nothing like this on the market. So it’s really new, innovative, but also when you start to use it, you’ll kind of think, ‘why have I not always had this?’ Which is what I love about it.”

There’s also an ethical element to the twice-churned, 100 per cent British cream butter in that one percent from each sale goes to farming charity Rabi.

Not only is Ruby’s professional career in full swing, but so is her personal life.

LOVE STORY

Earlier this year she got engaged to her environmentalist BBC presenter fiancé James Stewart.

However, wedding planning is still in its formative stages.

“We don’t know when it’s going to happen. We don’t know where it’s going to be,” admitted Ruby.

“But I know I want a dessert table, which will feature lots of cakes, lots of trees. I mean, if I can’t utilise the people from Bake Off to bake me a cake at that point, what’s the point of going on the show? So I’m going to have multiple cakes. Definitely some sort of chocolate cake in the mix as well, which I will definitely make.

“I think I probably lean more on the traditionalist. I grew up in a Punjabi household so we’re going to be merging a big fat Indian wedding, along with something a bit more traditional.

“My family is huge. And my partner’s family, I could probably count on one hand, so he’s going to have to gather the troops somewhere so he’s not outnumbered, but it’s going to be a good affair, that’s for sure.”

It’s fair to say, guests are going to be guaranteed full bellies and satisfied smiles on their faces.