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Meet Paul Hollywood: Great British Bake Off judge and celebrity chef
He married for a second time in 2023
THE Great British Bake Off just wouldn't be the same without Paul Hollywood.
The star baker has been a staple of the show ever since it kicked off, and he is back for the 2024 series.
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Born on March 1, 1966, in Cheshire, Paul Hollywood is a celebrity chef and TV presenter.
The star is best known as a judge on The Great British Bake Off - and moved with the show from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2016.
He is the only original member of the Bake Off line-up still on the hit series.
Paul has gone on to take part in the American version of GBBO, The Great American Baking Show, as well as Channel 4's Paul Hollywood Eats Mexico.
The talented star has also had other TV spots on shows such as This Morning.
As well as his telly work, he also has also released 11 cookbooks, with many of them being best-sellers.
The Sun revealed in 2023, that Paul earns £400k a year from Bake Off.
Growing up as a baker
Paul grew up in a baking family, as his father was a baker.
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After quitting his course at the Wallasey School of Art, he was employed in his dad’s bakery in York, before going on to work at a number of different pastry, bread and cake outlets.
Paul rose up the ranks to work as a head baker in a number of prestigious establishments around the UK and abroad before finding fame, including The Dorchester, The Chester Grosvenor Hotel and Cliveden Hotel.
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Life of Mrs Hollywood
Paul is married to pub landlady Melissa Spalding from Kent, who runs the Chequers Inn in Smarden.
The pair struck up a relationship in September 2019.
She moved into the TV chef's 18th Century farmhouse during the lockdown.
Melissa and Paul married in Cyprus in September 2023.
A source said: “It was a very tasteful and stylish wedding and the hotel management really pulled out all the stops to make it a memorable day.
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"There was a very lively party with loud music and lots of drinking that went on until late into the night.
“Paul is very close to the hotel owners and they made sure that everybody had a great time.
"He loves Cyprus and it was a wonderful setting for what was a beautiful occasion.”
Before meeting Melissa, Paul dated Summer Monteys-Fullam, until they broke up in August 2019.
The Bake Off star's first marriage was to Alexandra Hollywood.
They were married in 1998 but separated in 2013, before divorcing in 2019.
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Meet the kids
Paul has one child with his first wife Alexandra.
The former couple have a son called Josh who was born in October 2001.
Unlike his famous father he tends to keep out of the spotlight, and doesn't appear to have any social media accounts.
Great British Bake off cast 2024
The Great British Bake Off is back for another series of the heartwarming Channel 4 show.
Legendary judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are back to give their expert opinion, while hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond are on hand to lift the bakers spirits.
Here are the amateur bakers all taking part in 2024.
- Andy, 44, car mechanic.
- Christiaan, 33, menswear designer.
- Dylan, 20, retail assistant.
- Georgie, 34, paediatric nurse.
- Gill, 53, senior category manager.
- Hazel, 71, former nail technician.
- Illiyin, 31, birth trauma specialist midwife.
- Jeff, 67, former university lecturer.
- John, 37, NHS directorate support manager.
- Mike, 29, farmer.
- Nelly, 44, palliative care assistant.
- Sumayah, 19, student.
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