A BAKE Off contestant has admitted swindling more than £20,000 in disability benefits.
Marc Elliott, 55, insisted he could not perform certain tasks after an accident where he lost part of his leg.
He also claimed money for severe anxiety, totalling £20,430.
But in the 2020 Channel 4 series he was seen confidently mingling with others, baking for hours and even taking part in a race.
Elliott, a sculptor from Cornwall, pleaded guilty to benefit fraud at a hearing last month.
He was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge at Bodmin magistrates’ court.
The Department for Work and Pensions is now working to reclaim the money after launching a £900million counter-fraud plan.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “Benefit fraud takes money away from those who need it the most, so it is only right and fair we bring to justice those caught stealing from the taxpayer.”
Keen rock climber Elliott lost part of his leg in a motorbike crash and began making bread as a form of therapy.
He finished fifth on Bake Off.