I was on Come Dine With Me – I burned my eyes, set fire to the oven and put blood in the vegan food in total nightmare

A COME Dine With Me participant has opened up about her experience on the reality show - which included more setbacks than she expected.

Charity worker Paula Woolven participated in the Channel 4 programme in an attempt to raise awareness of food waste.

She told show bosses that she would create her dishes from food that would have otherwise been binned by supermarkets.

Although she had great aspirations for sustainable meals, when it came to actually cooking them, the Havens Community Hub founder faced a kitchen nightmare.

Paula shared: "I'm not renowned for my cooking skills but I didn't expect to muck up so spectacularly on 'my' day to host.

"I rubbed my eyes after cutting chilli's and dunked my head in the washing up bowl, I cut the vegan burgers with the knife I'd just cut the beef with and I set fire to the vegetables in the oven."

Rather than get flustered by all the mishaps, the Sussex local kept her cool and managed to make something she was proud of.

She added: "But other than that? It all went well. In fact they said my starter, made with leftover vegetables, was the best soup they'd ever had!

"Of course, I came last. But then, at least I didn't get 'nil points'!

"After the show, as we had become such good friends, we visited each other's actual houses for meals and nights out.

"I loved the people I was cast with and we are still firm friends two years later. The director of our week said that the contestants always say they'll keep in touch but never do. I said we were different. And we are."

Paula even donated the full £200 Come Dine With Me contestants get paid to her charity.

The money is meant to be used towards food and drinks for the show, but since she created her dishes from groceries that would've otherwise gone to landfill, she had cash to spare.

However, the contestant does advise future participants to take some time off work after filming because it is so exhausting.