The Great British Bake Off will return for its 13th season tonight as Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith judge a new cohort of aspiring bakers.
On the baking show, Paul is known for critiquing bakers as they attempt to receive a coveted Hollywood handshake by taking part in a range of show-stopping and technical challenges.
The 56-year-old has been a judge in the baking competition since the show began in 2010 on BBC Two before the show changed broadcasters over to Channel 4 in 2016.
Since the show began, Paul has been joined by the likes of Mary Berry and Prue Leith, however, he has also had a string of women in his personal life as well as his professional.
But is Paul Hollywood married and who is his partner Melissa Spalding?
Is Paul Hollywood married?
The GBBO judge was previously married to ex-wife Alexandra Hollywood.
The couple met in Cyprus, where they were both living at the time, and they tied the knot just two years later in 1998.
Alex told the Daily Mail of their first meeting: "We fell in love very quickly. Two weeks was all it took — we both knew.
"Paul was lovely, he made me the most wonderful pastries for breakfast. Show me a woman who doesn’t like chocolate!"
The couple then moved back to the UK in 1999 before welcoming son Joshua in 2001.
However, their whirlwind relationship sadly came to an end for the first time in 2013, after the baker reportedly had an affair with his American Baking Competition co-star, Marcela Valladolid.
He was reportedly "dazzled" by Marcela, who described him as a "handsome devil".
After returning to the UK from the States, he quickly moved out of the family home and left Alex heartbroken – claiming there was "no going back".
Paul confessed: "It's my fault. I am very sad about what has happened. I do feel very sad about it and what it brought on the family."
By October, Paul and Alex were in talks about reconciling for the sake of their son after he admitted publicly to the affair.
"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," he said.
Sadly, the couple then broke up for the final time in 2017 when Paul started dating then-23-year-old barmaid Summer Monteys-Fullam.
This was reportedly the last straw for Alex, with a source telling The Sun she had "given up" on their relationship because the trust had "totally gone".
"She feels fame has changed him. He’s not the same man she fell for all those years ago," said the insider.
What happened with Paul Hollywood and Summer Monteys-Fullam?
Paul and Summer then split after he showered her in lavish gifts and allegedly tried get her to sign a gagging order forbidding her from speaking about their relationship – even to her friends and family.
This left Summer furious as she was expecting a proposal, not an NDA.
She then trashed Paul on Instagram, telling her followers he "couldn't bake" and "ate Rice Krispies most evenings".
Meanwhile, Paul took jabs at his ex on his own social media, accusing her of setting up pictures with the paparazzi, and it was reported he refused to let her return to his £1million home to collect some of her belongings.
He told his Instagram followers: "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."
How did Paul Hollywood meet his current partner Melissa Spalding?
Just a few months after his bitter split from Summer, Paul fell in love with another younger bartender Melissa Spalding.
The 56-year-old reportedly fell for bartender after drinking in her boozer not far from his countryside home and they soon began a whirlwind romance, with Melissa soon moving into his home over lockdown.
In October 2021, Paul reportedly whisked then 37-year-old Melissa away to Paphos in Cyprus – a place he also took exes Alex and Summer.
Sources previously told The Sun that the couple are "happier than they’ve ever been" on their romantic getaway.
The source added: "Paul’s been flat out on Bake Off while Mel has her hands full running a pub so they’ve earned some rest and relaxation.
"Paul’s happier than he’s been in years and Mel’s a major part of that."
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