For a man famed for his ego, sharing The Great British Bake Off tent with the very glamorous Nigella Lawson, a national treasure, was never going to be plain sailing.
Paul Hollywood’s previous sidekicks, Mary Berry and Prue Leith, were both wonderful, iconic women – but neither took the spotlight away from the show’s longest serving judge.
But leading up to the 17th series, which launches on Channel 4 on September 22, Paul and Nigella have been hit by rumours that they haven’t exactly gelled while working on the much-loved show in recent months.
Nigella, daughter of the late Tory chancellor Nigel Lawson, was said to view Paul’s habit of using his helicopter to commute from the Kent village where he lives to the famous tent in Welford Park, Berkshire, was rather gauche and silly.
But any differences between them during filming would have played out away from the public glare over the summer when they pre-recorded the show with 12 new contestants.
