Affair scandal that rocked beloved Great British Bake Off judge, Paul Hollywood

It’s one of the most adored shows on TV, but The Great British Bake Off has suffered its fair share of controversies.

It’s one of the most beloved shows on television.

And as it enters its whopping twelfth season, which premieres on Foxtel on November 16, the odds were fairly high that The Great British Bake Off would be rocked by a controversy or two over its many years on-air.

It is however quite a surprise that a grounded cooking show without a flare for reality TV dramatics would encounter the level of scandals it has.

Enter English celebrity chef Paul Hollywood, who currently judges the series alongside Prue Leith. He’s one of the most popular cooks in the UK, having starred as a judge on the BBC program since its inception in 2010.

He’s also been the main culprit at the centre of the show’s controversies, including a legitimate affair scandal with a fellow judge, and another rumoured one with a contestant.

His image overhaul from humble chef to love rat began when the 55-year-old hopped across the pond in 2013 to guest judge on the US Bake Off spin-off, The American Baking Competition, alongside American chef Marcela Valladolid.

He was married at the time to his wife Alexandra, whom he had wed many years prior in 1998, but engaged in a love affair with Valladoid during filming.

Marcela Valladolid and Paul Hollywood had an affair while making The American Baking Competition.

After news of their affair hit the headlines, Hollywood was kicked out of his family’s home in the UK, where he and his wife shared a young son, Josh.

Hollywood dubbed the affair “the biggest mistake of my life”, adding: “It was my fault. I’m very sad about what has happened. I do feel very sad about it and what it brought on the family,” he said at the time.

That same year, fans speculated Hollywood had an affair with Bake Off’s season 4 contestant, Ruby Tandoh, who was a finalist on the series.

However, Tandoh disputed the rumours when she came out as gay in 2015.

“P.S. for those who thought I fancied Paul Hollywood or that I’d ever bang him to get ahead – JOKE’S ON YOU, YOU MASSIVE S****ING MISOGYNISTS (sic),” she wrote in a tweet.

Months after the media surrounding his affair settled down, Hollywood reconciled with his wife.

But the pair officially called it quits in 2017, before finalising their divorce in 2019.

Paul Hollywood and his ex-wife Alexandra officially called it quits in 2017. Picture: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

Just months after their split, Hollywood began dating a then 23-year-old bar worker, Summer Monteys-Fullam, who was 30 years his junior.

It wasn’t long before their fling made negative headlines.

Monteys-Fullam was involved in a fiery spat with Hollywood’s ex-wife Alexandra at a shopping centre in the UK in early 2019, in which the police were called, according to The Sun.

Witnesses told the publication that Alexandra had called Monteys-Fullam a “sl*t” and “wh*re”.

Summer Monteys-Fullam dated Paul Hollywood. Picture: Instagram

The row spilt into the carpark, with a shopper telling The Sun: “I was totally disgusted by the language.

“It’s just not the sort of behaviour you expect at (a shopping centre).

“But she also said, ‘Do you know how much you’ve hurt my son?’, and that’s when you realise what it was all about.”

Their relationship didn’t last much longer, with Monteys-Fullam dumping Hollywood in late 2019, claiming he attempted to make her sign a gag order preventing her from talking about their romance.

Great British Bake Off is set to return for season 12 with hosts Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding, and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

Hollywood later addressed the reports on Twitter, saying: “My silence on any matters is not a sign of weakness or agreement of what’s been said, merely I prefer a quiet life away from my day job!

“Take what’s read with a pinch of salt and read between the lines. I know the public can’t be duped into believing what’s out there from a person making money selling stories! and continuously courting the paps …

“There’s always two sides to a story you’ve only heard one … but alas I don’t play those games.”

The Great British Bake Off premieres on Foxtel on November 16

Originally published as Affair scandal that rocked beloved Great British Bake Off judge, Paul Hollywood