Well on his way to becoming a star on both sides of the Atlantic, it seemed life couldn’t get much better for Paul. With an army of fans thanks to The Great British Bake Off, and apparently set for a hit with The American Baking Competition, he was at the peak of his fame and popularity. And to make that success even sweeter, he enjoyed a seemingly idyllic private life with his wife of 15 years, Alexandra, and their young son Josh. And as he flew to America, he would no doubt have mulled over the fact that he was on the brink of becoming an international star – something he could never have dreamed of when he first started his career as a junior baker in the Wirral.
Naturally, Alexandra and Josh would have been saddened by the prospect of Paul being away for weeks on end filming his new show, but it’s equally fair to assume that, like any other loving family, they would have been eager for things to go swimmingly stateside. And of course Paul’s legion of British fans would also be willing him on to enjoy the success that he so richly deserved. But what the fans could not have predicted is what happened next. An unexpected twist – and a heartbreaking one at that – caught almost everyone by surprise. On 17 May 2013, with just 11 days to go until the season premiere of The American Baking Competition, Paul hit the headlines for other reasons entirely.
The Sun published an exclusive in which they revealed that he had split with 49-year-old Alexandra. Their formerly stable relationship was over, it claimed. The headline read ‘The Great British Break Off’ and detailed the couple’s shock separation, saying their marriage was over. But it didn’t seem to be a straightforward situation. The piece went on to speculate about Paul’s close friendship with his co-judge on the American show, Marcela Valladolid. The story began: ‘The Great British Bake Off’s Paul Hollywood has split from his wife after filming America’s remake – with a sexy version of Mary Berry who got all dough-eyed over him’.
There was also official confirmation of the split from his agent, Geraldine Woods, who said Paul would be making no comment at this time on the ‘private matter’. Speaking on behalf of both Paul and Alexandra, she added simply: ‘Their priority is protecting their son.’
The Sun story came out days after Paul had arrived at the TV Baftas, where The Great British Bake Off had won the coveted Features prize, without Alexandra by his side. The newspaper detailed how he was now living in a studio flat in Kent, a short drive away from the family home, and also spoke of how astonished the couple’s friends had been. Well known in their close-knit community, Alexandra was said to be enthusiastically involved in the church and the organisation of the local fête, while Paul had previously dressed up as Father Christmas for the children in the village during the festive period. Just days before Paul went to America, he and Alexandra were said to have enjoyed a romantic holiday in Paris, where they visited the splendid Palace of Versailles. This made their separation even more sudden and shocking.
Only weeks before the news broke, Paul had spoken of how Alexandra was not concerned about his new status as a sex symbol, further giving the impression that their marriage was rock solid. In an interview with the Sunday Mirror he declared: ‘My wife finds it all hilarious. I get marriage proposals, maybe one a week. Women do flirt, yes. They just want someone from the telly.’ He went on to describe himself as ‘quite introverted’ and ‘just a man from Liverpool’, giving an insight into his shy character and seemingly down-to-earth approach to fame. There was no sign of what was to come.
With little experience of negative headlines or tabloid intrusion, especially when it came to his private life, one can only imagine how Paul must have felt on seeing the end of his marriage splashed across the newspapers. The fact that it was coupled with so much speculation on his relationship with 34-year-old Marcela can only have served to make it even more difficult. Despite the speculation, he continued to remain tight-lipped and did not confirm or deny any romance with Marcela or that his relationship with her was anything but professional.
According to a Sun source, Paul and the divorced mum-of-one – recently voted one of the world’s top 60 most desirable women in a poll – had ‘hit it off from day one’. Before he flew out to Los Angeles in March 2013, she had described him as a ‘handsome devil’, while he called her ‘brilliant’ and praised her ‘exceptional taste buds’. Following his return to the UK at Easter, the pair kept in touch via social networking site Twitter. The fact that they chose to exchange messages in such a public manner suggests they had little idea of what was around the corner. Her tweets included sending him ‘big hugs from the U S of A’ and asking if he was going to fly back to see her. In another exchange she declared herself ‘officially the best mom/aunt/party-planner on the planet’. Paul joked back: ‘I’ll be the judge of that.’ During March and April, while filming in Georgia in America’s Deep South, the co-judges frequently posted pictures of themselves together on Twitter, documenting an apparent growing intimacy. It seemed the close relationship that Paul had shared with his Great British Bake Off co-judge Mary Berry was being replicated with Marcela.
On the day the story broke, Paul was filming the new series of The Great British Bake Off in Somerset. The following day he cancelled a book signing in Glasgow and a speech at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards. It seemed that he wanted to keep a low profile while the tabloid storm rumbled on. And so it did; the speculation about his hitherto private life did not start and end with the Sun’s exclusive. At a time when Paul should have been eagerly anticipating the imminent launch of his career in America, instead he found himself in the midst of a media storm as more and more headlines were printed.
On 18 May, the Sun claimed Paul would be jetting back across the Atlantic to promote the US show – and therefore he would be reunited with Marcela. It seemed the press were scrutinising his every move, and doubtless this would have been a hugely testing time. The newspaper also used the apparent breakdown of Paul’s marriage to revisit the splits of other famous celebrity chefs including Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal and MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace, asking in typically tongue-in-cheek style: ‘Why are chefs so saucy?’
Almost inevitably the Sunday tabloids were also keen to pounce on the heartache of one of the country’s biggest stars, especially one who had previously enjoyed a clean-cut image and a happy home life. The People ran the first post-split photograph of Alexandra on 19 May. She was out shopping, not wearing her wedding ring, and had reportedly been staying with her mum, rather than at the family home in Wingham. Family members, including her brother Simon and sister Liz, were said to be comforting her. Talking about Alexandra’s ‘betrayal’ at the hands of her husband, a family friend told the newspaper: ‘She’s been completely blindsided by this and sees it as a terrible betrayal and a real shock, which she is really struggling to cope with. This came right out of the blue. She couldn’t have been more supportive over his career and was very proud of what he achieved. The fact he’s going back to America now to turn himself into a global star makes it all the more sickening.’ Meanwhile, a neighbour of the couple added: ‘Alexandra has looked very unhappy the last couple of weeks and seems to have lost about a stone.’
On the same day the Sunday Mirror reported that Paul had been left ‘racked with guilt’ following the separation and – contrary to earlier reports – even suggested he was staying with his supportive co-host, Mary Berry. A friend of Paul and Alexandra told the paper: ‘Paul is totally distraught and guilty about the devastation he is causing his wife and son. He has a very strong relationship with his son and he feels terrible about the pain he is inflicting by splitting the family nest. Alexandra is beside herself and can’t believe he has done this. She supported him throughout the rise of his career. She would shrug off silly marriage proposals from potty fans. It was a massive shock for her.’
News of the split reached the Daily Star Sunday – usually more interested in scantily clad models and the latest football gossip – demonstrating Paul’s wide-reaching appeal. The newspaper went even further than others, suggesting that he was planning to set up home in California with Marcela and her young son. But it was Alexandra’s heartache that the Mail on Sunday concentrated on, offering similar details to the People and the Sunday Mirror, and describing how she had declined to comment when approached the previous day.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Marcela was staying tight-lipped too. When approached by a Mail on Sunday reporter outside her brother Antonio’s mansion in Chula Vista, Southern California, she was said to have ‘smiled and shrugged, but declined to deny rumours of an affair’ between herself and Paul. However, her sister-in-law Lisa insisted the speculation was wide of the mark, claiming: ‘She’d find that very funny. She only has to have a sandwich with someone and they’re supposedly living together.’
In the coming days further photos of Alexandra looking downcast and drawn would emerge. Scores of tabloid reporters and paparazzi camped outside her home, and the previous unknown – a constant but quiet and low-key presence by Paul’s side during his rise to fame – found herself very much in the spotlight. Her gloomy expression and steadfast refusal to comment to the press suggested it wasn’t a role she was comfortable in.
Meanwhile, a trailer for The American Baking Competition was released and said to showcase the on-screen chemistry between Paul and Marcela. In the footage a smiling Paul shows no sign of his inner heartache, telling viewers: ‘I love being in America. I love eating cake, I love eating pie, I like eating bread, I like eating dessert, I like eating sponge. For me to land this job and be in America at the same time… I’m happy!’
Inside he must have been far from happy as more and more column inches were taken up with stories about his private life – and Marcela’s. Events took an intriguing turn on 22 May, when it was claimed Marcela’s own marriage had also broken up. The Sun reported that the star had split from her Mexican politician husband Fausto Gallardo – father to their nine-year-old son, also called Fausto – for a second time after remarrying him the previous year. The couple, who were childhood sweethearts, reportedly owned a plush home in San Diego, California, but were often forced apart by Marcela’s filming commitments and Fausto’s political campaigning in Tijuana, Mexico, where he was running to be a councillor. A source close to the pair told the Sun: ‘Her family were excited that this TV show was going to be her big break. But it’s just been the break-up of her marriage. Some of the family knew they had been through a rocky period, but we thought that was past. They have kept it very quiet, and that may be for his and her career. They are both very driven people.’ However, a spokesperson for Marcela later said that – contrary to the reports – she and Fausto had in fact divorced several years ago and never remarried. Nevertheless, it seemed they had at least enjoyed a short-lived reconciliation.
With so much speculation and all the parties involved keeping quiet, the exact truth of the matter was hard to determine. Clearly distressed by events, Paul was keeping a low profile. Supposedly in Los Angeles for a promotional tour, he did not appear alongside Marcela on US chat show The Talk – a CBS daytime show presented by popular host Julie Chen and also featuring X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne. Although it was not clear whether he was scheduled to appear on The Talk all along, it would have seemed fitting, considering how The American Baking Competition was launching to great fanfare, that he made an appearance. There were certainly a few raised eyebrows when he didn’t join Marcela for an interview, especially as he was at the time in the US for promotional responsibilities for The American Baking Competition. His agent refused to confirm whether he had dropped out of promotional commitments altogether, but as Marcela gave interview after interview to plug the new show, Paul was notable by his absence.
No doubt keen to move on, he perhaps hoped that going into hiding would bring to a close the endless speculation and gossip. Unfortunately for him, he was very much mistaken. And along with the desire to stifle the headlines, any hopes that he may have had of reconciling with his wife were also fading fast. On 26 May the People reported that Alexandra was filing for divorce as she felt there was ‘no way back’. She was reported to have spoken to a solicitor and begun proceedings. Whatever Paul’s feelings about the end of his marriage may have been, any husband would be taken aback to read such personal news in the papers, especially given his close relationship with his son. As a relative newcomer to fame, becoming tabloid fodder was a world away from the previous quiet countryside existence he had enjoyed with his family. But professionally at least he needed to keep it together. Now back in the UK, again filming The Great British Bake Off in Somerset, he was believed to be staying in a bed and breakfast near Bath and leaning on co-host Mary for support during what must have been one of the most challenging times of his life.
It was at this point that Alexandra decided to break her silence. But despite the lucrative offers many in her position might have received or, indeed, accepted, this was no tell-all tabloid interview. Instead she simply took to Twitter for the first time since the split and revealed, in an understated message, just how tough it had been. Ironically tweeting under the name Hollywood_wife, she told her followers: ‘I feel very blessed – when times are this hard, I’ve discovered what truly wonderful friends I have.’ The following day she mentioned being ‘back on kitchen duties’, perhaps hinting at the fact that she and Josh were missing Paul’s culinary expertise. Previously she had lovingly described him cooking his favourite steak flambé with prunes, cream and Stilton. After being flooded with messages of support from friends and followers, Alexandra went on to retweet several heartfelt messages of support, showing how grateful she was to be in people’s thoughts. A look back at her profile showed that she tweeted on 11 May, saying it had been a ‘different sort of a day’. It was just six days later that her marriage split was revealed.
Meanwhile, Paul resolutely continued to tweet about professional matters only, including giving tips on the perfect plaited loaf. He did, however, give the impression that he was less than happy with the media reports. On 23 May he wrote: ‘Don’t read them… They should all be in a literary fest for the best fiction!’ And three days later he told another fan: ‘I refuse to rise to the utter nonsense that’s being written.’
But despite Paul’s comments, the newspapers were still fascinated by his relationship with Marcela and continued to write about her. According to the Sunday Mirror she apparently told friends that she had no plans to live in England, and so any long-term union would have to be stateside. Previously unheard of in this country, the British public were clearly keen to know more about the woman who had supposedly become so close to homegrown heart-throb Paul. In the media she was sometimes portrayed as a fiercely ambitious character, on a mission to become the US’s most famous female cook at any cost. Speculation over her relationship with Fausto and the pair’s marital status continued, with the Sunday Mirror reporting that the relationship had been troubled for months but her friendship with Paul had proved the final nail in the coffin.
A friend of the couple told the newspaper: ‘Marcela explained she had met someone who could give her everything she wanted. She didn’t refer to Paul by name. All she would say was that the guy was rich and famous. Fausto had to go on the internet to find out who he was. He is obviously devastated but things have been on the rocks for a long, long time.’
Towards the end of May Marcela used Twitter to issue a ‘shout out to all those hard workin’ single mammas out there’ and spoke of moving into a new home with her son. It appeared she was now most definitely single.
On 29 May The American Baking Competition made its debut on CBS, with the more cynical perhaps feeling that tabloid speculation over Paul and Marcela’s relationship would at least intrigue viewers and boost ratings. They had had little interaction on Twitter in the run-up to the launch, beyond Marcela retweeting Paul’s plug for the show. But whatever the state of play between its stars, the show launched to great fanfare at what should have been a time of great celebration for Paul. Instead, back in Britain, a photographer caught him looking strained as he arrived at the family home in Wingham.
Three days previously it seemed he had finally reached the end of his tether with the media. He took to Twitter to issue ‘a personal request to the press’. It read: ‘PLEASE respect my son’s privacy he’s had enough back off! I’m fair game but please leave him alone Thank you.’
Obviously feeling the pressure of the previous fortnight and concerned about the impact of events on Josh, Paul was snapped sitting in his car with his head in his hands. The Sun newspaper suggested he was at the house for ‘crisis talks’ with Alexandra, but again she took to Twitter to set the record straight. By now surely getting used to the almost daily press speculation, she wrote: ‘Just heard via the Sun that Paul is coming for a “crisis talk”… Well he’s got a bloody long drive then!’ Alexandra was referring to the fact that she and Josh were on holiday at the time in a sunny foreign destination, believed to be Lysos, western Cyprus, the island where she and Paul had met and married. Previously she had asked her followers ‘wish you were here?’ as she posted a photograph of a large glass of wine. A few days later she posted another snap of some fresh fish and remarked: ‘Got my appetite back at last.’ She also posted a smiling photo of herself alongside the message: ‘Fun evening at a very dodgy quiz night..!’
In actual fact, it seemed Paul was at the house to collect the last of his belongings while Alexandra and Josh enjoyed a much-needed break away from the glare of the media. But for Paul, there was no such respite. Once again he cut a lonely and troubled figure as he was photographed smoking a cigarette in the People on 2 June. The paper described him as looking ‘dishevelled’ as he puffed away in the street, before driving off in his £135,000 Aston Martin DB9.
But snatched photographs and the odd cryptic tweet aside were never going to be enough to satisfy the appetite of the tabloids. Given the regularity with which Paul and Alexandra’s split had featured in the papers, it was only a matter of time before the Daily Mail made it the subject of one of the in-depth features for which it is so renowned. On 1 June, journalist Paul Scott undertook forensic analysis of the situation and wondered if there was any hope of reconciliation. Highlighting the cruel irony of the timing of events, the piece began: ‘By rights, this should be a time of celebration for Paul Hollywood. After all, it is not every week your new TV show airs on one of America’s biggest networks. And the Wirral-born celebrity baker has long harboured hopes of carving out the US fame to match his showbiz surname. Yet, instead of toasting his success, Hollywood cut a tortured figure this week as he sat slumped behind the wheel of his flashy Aston Martin sports car in a Kent village, his head in his hands’. It went on to describe how Paul had returned to his thirteenth-century marital home for ‘crisis’ talks with Alexandra, saying he bore the haunted look of someone who has come, belatedly, to the realisation that he ‘faces losing everything. Gone is the carefree demeanour he displayed when appearing alongside Marcela Valladolid, the beautiful chef he is said to have become close to on the US version of The Great British Bake Off, which debuted on US TV on Wednesday night’.
The piece went on to offer what it claimed was an insight into Paul and Alexandra’s marriage, with anecdotes from the past including his time in Cyprus where a younger Paul was said to attract attention. Scott continued: ‘At the time, rumours flew around the expat community that he was being followed around by two besotted local girls even after meeting Kent-born Alexandra, who was working there as a scuba diving instructor. One British chef, who was a guest at the couple’s wedding on Cyprus in 1998, said: “Paul was focused on his work. He was a brilliant baker. He helped open three hotels and worked incredibly hard. I never once saw him on the beach. It’s hard on your social life, but Paul was always popular.”’
The article also claimed to have uncovered ‘new clues’ in a bid to get to the bottom of the Hollywoods’ marital strife, pointing out that the marriage had seemed stable until very recently. A month before the split, it said, Paul had set up a new business, PJH Media Limited, to funnel his growing television and media earnings. Significantly, he had appointed Alexandra to the role of company secretary. According to records at Companies House, the husband and wife were the only shareholders in the firm, which has its registered office in a terrace of commercial properties in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. Alexandra was already the company secretary of his only other business, Paul Hollywood Limited, which was first registered as a company in July 2004. The new firm was set up on 7 March, just a week before Paul flew to America for filming. Scott’s take on things concluded that the breakdown of the relationship had been sudden and unexpected. Surely Paul wouldn’t have placed such responsibility in Alexandra’s hands had he been intending to end it, he speculated.
Talk of Paul’s financial affairs also prompted the newspaper to speculate about the potential impact of a divorce. As well as bringing up Josh, Alexandra had helped Paul set up his successful bread-making business, which supplies Harrods and Waitrose, suggesting she would be entitled to a sizeable sum should the pair make their split official and go ahead with divorce proceedings. The piece went on: ‘Business is booming. As well as his six-figure BBC salary and a similar fee for the US counterpart, his bestselling book Paul Hollywood’s Bread, released in March to coincide with a spin-off TV series, has pushed the baker’s earnings close to £1.5 million in the past year. Accountants say that, even after a divorce, Alexandra would be under no obligation to resign her position, which, importantly, gives her a half share in the new company’s profits.’ The newspaper reported that Alexandra was said to be talking to lawyers, possibly about walking away with her share of the couple’s assets, which included the £800,000, Grade I-listed home in the chocolate-box village of Aylesham in Kent.
Finances aside, perhaps most worrying for Paul and those fans rooting for his marriage was the suggestion that a reconciliation was not on the cards. According to the Daily Mail, Alexandra had rebuffed his attempts to make amends and took advice ‘from her closest girlfriends at a spa day to celebrate her birthday’, with some pals allegedly adamant she shouldn’t take Paul back.
With almost every day bringing a fresh wave of press speculation about his private life, Paul’s burgeoning career in America was perhaps furthest from many people’s minds – his own included. The eagerly anticipated American Baking Competition had launched at the height of the media storm, but how had it performed in the ratings? And back in Britain, what was the reaction of the fans who had supported him throughout his rise to fame? Not to mention his close friend and colleague Mary Berry, the woman who had supported him through thick and thin. What would she make of this disturbing turn of events?