Paul Hollywood has reportedly signed a six-figure deal to be the face of an iconic advert.
The Great British Bake Off judge is set to star in the new ads for comparison site Compare the Market, which famously feature meerkats. It is thought the 58-year-old will use his surname as a pun to promote their 2-4-1 cinema ticket deal for customers.
He is the latest big name to appear in the Compare the Market adverts following in the footsteps of legendary actors Nicole Kidman, Macaulay Culkin and Arnold Schwarznegger. But why Paul has chosen to do it remains a mystery as the TV chef rarely takes part in ad campaigns or allows his name to be used for promotions.
The famous ads, which first appeared on TV screens back in 2009, feature Russian meerkat Aleksandr Orlov and the antics of his family and friends. Playing on the similarity between the words meerkat and market, they are instantly recognisable, as is Orlov’s catchphrase ‘simples’.
Fans will have to wait to see how Paul will appear in the new adverts but one TV insider told The Sun : “This is particularly surprising given that the Bake off judge very rarely lends his name to anything or takes part in campaigns. But the meerkat ads are well liked and he thought the way they were going to use him was funny and clever. And Paul is an international star worthy of an international campaign because Bake off has made him a famous face around the world.”
As well as his new Compare the Market gig which will earn him a few extra pennies, Paul is set to return as a judge on the new series of The Great British Bake off when it returns to Channel 4 this summer. But fans will have to wait for further details and the exact date of when it is airing again.
Since airing in Britain in 2010, the Bake Off format has been sold to 20 countries around the world and is called The Great American Baking Show in the US. UK fans might not know that Paul also features as a judge in the American series, which has made him a huge star across the pond.
Celebrity chef Paul was recently awarded an MBE for his services to baking and broadcasting and Princess Anne, the daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II, that he’d love her to appear on the celebrity version of the iconic show. Speaking after the ceremony, he said: "I've always been fond of the Princess Royal. I met her a few years ago at Buckingham Palace when the (then) Duke of Edinburgh wasn't very well. We were all with members of the royal family and I just happened to be there with Princess Anne. So to see her again today was fantastic.”
He added: "She did say 'baking is so integral to the DNA of us all. We love the smell'. And I said 'absolutely, I grew up with the smell'. I think she's particularly fond of Chelsea buns. I promised her some, so I put myself on the spot there." When asked if the Royal family were fans of the show, Hollywood confessed they were "fully aware of (it), yes."
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