I had to book a whole week off work to be on Come Dine With Me – and bosses told us how to vote in the taxis home

A FORMER contestant on Come Dine With Me has shared sensational claims about her time on the Channel 4 show.

Katy Spence appeared on the fan-favourite series back in 2014 - and now she’s lifting the lid on all the secrets, from fixed scores to hidden costs. 

Come Dine With Me gives those who are experts in the art of hosting the perfect dinner party the platform to put their skills to the test.

Eight years after appearing on the show, Katy has taken to TikTok to discuss her time on the show, with fans eager to find out what happens behind the scenes.

Spence admitted she was not the one to take home the cash prize, but claimed Channel 4 bosses "know who they want to win" even before the cooking takes place.

She revealed: "During my week, one of the people absolutely should have won, their food was the best. 

"But, it's hugely edited, massively staged - and they know who they want to win right from the get-go."

Katy also made allegations about the funding contestants receive to take part in the show, claiming: "You get £250 and that covers your food, your entertainment and any cutlery that you need." 

However, she claimed this was not enough to cover the cost of everything she needed to take part, adding: "Being that you take a gift to each contestant's house, it cost me five or six hundred pounds.

“That's not even including the fact that I couldn't work for the week because I was filming from about three or four o'clock every day."

In a follow-up clip, Katy went on to say that producers would "encourage contestants to go higher or lower on their scores" while filming the scenes in the taxis.

She also explained that the scenes involving people rooting around in each other's knicker drawers and the likes were "heavily staged" and producers would point to what they wanted people to look at.

The Sun has contacted Channel 4 for comment.

Come Dine With Me is available to watch on All 4 now.