Paul Hollywood has had a chaotic love life over the years, including divorce, a fling with a barmaid half his age, and an affair that hit the headlines around the world.
The Great British Bake Off judge has been a firm favourite with viewers after making his debut on the show almost 13 years ago. He was the steely blue-eyed judge who offered up harsh criticism to budding bakers alongside national treasure Mary Berry, and he proved so popular with fans that he went on to land his own TV series, and released several best-selling cookbooks.
But it’s not his legendary bread-making skills that have hit the headlines over the years - it’s his tumultuous love life that has given Paul the title of a lothario, and his wandering eye caused the breakdown of his first marriage. The baker wed first wife Alex in 1998 in Cyprus and began a whirlwind romance, tying the knot just weeks after first meeting. They welcomed their son, Josh, just three years later, and Paul was working hard as head baker at hotels in Cyprus.
Their union survived Paul’s stratospheric rise to fame when he landed the role of judge on the then-BBC show Great British Bake Off, and Alex proudly posed alongside him at red carpet events. However, the relationship hit the rocks in 2013, when Paul headed over to the US to judge the ill-fated American Baking Competition, alongside co-star Marcela Valladolid, 37.
Rumours of their affair were confirmed, and he temporarily split from wife Alex as he and Marcela began dating. But their relationship ended just a few weeks later, when he confessed he still loved his wife and wanted to make amends.
“I did have an affair in America with my co-judge and it was the biggest mistake of my life because actually I still love my wife. I made a huge mistake and at the moment Alex and myself are working things through together,” he told the Mirror in 2013. “We are just going to take things one step at a time, but I still love her, that is ultimately what it is.” Alex and Paul reconciled, and she said she was “optimistic” about their chances. “You’ve just got to get on with life, haven’t you? I’m an eternal optimist, he’s an optimist. We’re having a good time,” she gushed.
Sadly, after more claims of adultery, their marriage ended in 2017, and Alex filed for divorce. “It is with sadness that we have decided to separate. Our focus continues to be the happiness of our son, and we would ask the press and public to allow us privacy as a family during this very difficult time,” they said in a joint statement. Since their split, Alex has made a name for herself as an Instagram cook, and released her first cookbook, My Busy Kitchen, in 2015. She’s also voiced her side of the story over the end of her marriage to Paul, and last year, accused him of having more affairs during their union.
“My own marriage was too over-seasoned with extra marital affairs for my taste and so I opted out and chose the single menu instead,” Alex revealed in an empowering Instagram post. “It wasn't easy and it took some getting used to, I wasn't even sure I liked it much at first, but as I regained my confidence, my freedom and myself after so long, I discovered that it really isn't a cliche to say happiness really does comes from within.”
Paul then went on to date 22-year-old barmaid Summer Monteys-Fullam, after the pair met in the summer of 2017, shortly after he split from Alex. It was reported they met in the baker’s local pub, The Duke William in Kent, and he whisked her off on a luxury holiday to Mauritius as they enjoyed the early days of their romance. After two years of dating, the couple quietly split, with Summer later embarking on a career as social media influencer. However, she hit the headlines after Alex accused Paul and Summer of having an affair while she was still married to the TV star, and was reportedly ready to name the barmaid in the former couple’s £10 million divorce settlement.
Paul continued to look for love, and in December 2019, he went public with The Chequers Inn landlady Melissa, and spent Christmas Day together at her pub, with the star’s publicist stating: “They are very happily together.” He reportedly popped the question last year, and the couple have tied the knot in a stunning ceremony in Cyprus, surrounded by close family and friends, including Paul’s Bake Off co-judge Prue Leith.
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