The finalists of Great British Bake Off were not solely chosen for their talents in the kitchen, the shows producer has suggested.

Anna Beattie has admitted that the 12 contestants on the popular BBC show were also selected to give a 'representative mix' of Britain.

The executive producer, said from the thousands of applicants around 150 were invited to bake in front of the cameras, weeding out those unable to talk and cook at the same time.

The 12 finalists of the sixth season of The Great British Bake Off posing together at the start of the series

Nadiya Hussain, Ian Cumming, and Tamal Ray will battle it out for the title tomorrow night

After discarding those overtly interested in fame, they then turned their attention to 'trying to get a representative mix' of Britain, she said, according to the Guardian.

Ms Beattie's comments come after criticism was leveled at the show for putting political correctness ahead of baking merit.

When the line-up was announced The Daily Mail's Quentin Letts suggested the shows producers may have sourced 'fashionable minorities.'

He wrote: 'It’s only a ruddy cake competition, but inspecting the cast members for this, the sixth series of the baking world’s answer to The X Factor, the average British viewer may have felt distinctly manipulated. Laughably so, really. It is more multicultural and right on than a Benetton catalogue.'

The final will be judged by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood

But Toby Waterworth, a season four baker, said that you have to have knowledge, technical ability and personality in order to beat off thousands of others to get on the show.

'It's hard to do and an achievement in itself and then you have to beat everyone else in the tent, where the judges, not the producers decide,' he said.

'It is merit-based, not any exercise in political correctness.'

Tamal Ray, Nadiya Hussain and Ian Cumming have beaten off the competition to make it into the final of the show with their creative cakes, mouth-watering pastries and daring bread sculptures.

The trio will battle it out tomorrow evening in front of judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood to be crowned series six champion.

Ms Hussain, a 30-year-old mother-of-three from Leeds, is favourite to win the contest.

She has a powerful supporter in the form of Prime Minister David Cameron.

He has said he will be supporting her to scoop the title because she is cool under pressure.

The shows finale has not been without controversy, after Ladbrokes accused BBC employees of placing a string of large bets on the winner of the show ahead of the final.

The concluding episode was filmed several weeks ago and those involved are also accused of encouraging friends and family to take out large wagers.