Shropshire's Diana: I quit Bake Off after freak accident

The 69-year-old fainted and banged her head the night before filming for the fifth episode was due to take place. After spending a night in A&E in Basingstoke, close to where the BBC1 show is filmed near Newbury, Diana was told she had severed the nerve which enabled her to taste and smell.

She withdrew from the competition and has not regained her lost senses three months on - and has been told she may never be able to taste or smell again.

Diana today revealed the details of the accident, which happened at the end of May, because she said she wanted the public to know the full reasons behind her departure ahead of next week's episode.

It comes after Diana found herself at the centre of the "Pudding-gate" controversy following the fourth episode shown on Wednesday night, when she was shown removing Iain Watters' baked Alaska from a freezer. Iain's dessert melted, causing him to storm off set before losing his place on the show.

Diana, the show's oldest ever contestant, has since faced an angry backlash from fans of the show on social media, despite claiming she had been made a scapegoat by the programme's producers.

Diana, who lives in Alkington near Whitchurch, said: "I went down to Newbury for the recording of programme five, which was the pastry episode. We went out for a meal on the Friday evening and for some reason I fainted - something I've never done before - and I bashed my head and spent the night in accident and emergency in Basingstoke.

"I severed my olfactory nerve and can no longer smell or taste. It was pretty horrendous at the time but I've sort of got used to it now.

"I'd love to be able to smell coffee again though.

"I wasn't going to say anything until after episode six originally, but we brought the announcement forward.

"I'm actually pretty glad it's out now. I didn't want people to think I'd wimped out. It's as well it's out."

Following the accident, Diana has been told by her neurologist that she may never recover her sense of taste or smell. As a result she said she is now unable to cook as much as before the accident.

"I can taste very salty or vinegary food a little bit, but I really have to stick to things I know well. I can't experiment any more," she said.

"My neurologist said it might never recover, or it might be better by Christmas. One of his patients had it last for nine years, which is a bit of a long time to wait when you're 69."