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Great British Bake Off stars Prue Leith, Sandi Toksvig and Paul Hollywood's weddings

Great British Bake Off hosts' weddings: Paul Hollywood's Cyrpus nuptials, Prue Leith's 'no fuss' ceremony & more

See Mary Berry's sparkly wedding dress and Matt Lucas' pantomime theme

Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
October 30, 2023
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While Great British Bake Off presenter Noel Fielding has never married his long-term girlfriend Lliana Bird and his co-star Alison Hammond is thought to be single, judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith have chosen to tie the knot with their respective partners.

But how much do you know about their love lives? When they're not on our TV screens handing out famous handshakes and making hilarious innuendos, many Bake Off stars are spending time with their husbands and wives, with whom they had beautiful weddings. Take a look at what we know…

WATCH: Meet the 2023 Great British Bake Off contestants

Paul Hollywood

Paul Hollywood and Melissa Spalding
'The King's Man' film premiere, Arrivals, London, UK - 06 Dec 2021© David Fisher/Shutterstock

Paul Hollywood, 57, met his wife Melissa Spalding, 39, in 2020 at the Chequers Inn, where she was the landlady.

They got married in the Ayia Athanasia chapel in Cyprus in September 2023 before hosting a reception at the nearby luxury hotel, Anassa Hotel. They were thought to be joined by 75 of their closest family and friends, including Paul's co-star Prue Leith.

The celebrity chef was previously married to Alexandra from 1998 until 2017 when they announced they were splitting following cheating allegations.

 Mary Berry

Paul Hunnings and Mary Berry standing in between flowers© Nick Harvey/Shutterstock

Mary Berry married her husband Paul Hunnings in 1966 after he proposed three times! Discussing the reason for rejecting the antique dealer,  she said: "He would always ask when he'd just been in the pub or after he'd taken me out to supper somewhere - and I always thought he'd had too much to drink. I used to say, 'You're drunk!' because I didn't want to make up my mind. But I'm very happy now that I said yes," she said.

The couple got married at Charlcombe Church near her parents' home in Bath. Black and white photos show Mary looking beautiful in a bridal white dress with cropped sleeves and a sparkly waist which she revealed cost her just five pounds! She also made her own cake – because who could possibly outdo her culinary skills?

Prue Leith

prue leith husband

Former judge Prue Leith, 83, said she wasn't expecting to find love again when she met fashion designer John Playfair, 77, in 2011. They got married in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2016, with Prue joking on The Jonathan Ross Show: "I had to get married in Scotland, because he refused to wear a kilt south of the border.

"I was determined, if I was going to get married this guy had to be in a kilt. So we went to Scotland where he was prepared to wear one. He won’t wear one south of the border, he thinks it’s naff. He’s got a very good undercarriage."

In a rare comment about her registry office nuptials, she wrote for the MailOnline: "There’ll be no family, no wedding reception, no meringue, no fuss, and I’m trying to be suitably cool."

Prue was previously married to South African author Rayne Kruger, with whom she shares two kids. They wed in 1974, but Rayne fell ill with emphysema and died in December 2002, aged 80.

Matt Lucas

Matt Lucas and Kevin McGee's wedding reception in 2006© David Fisher/Shutterstock

Prue is not the only one to have suffered heartbreak by losing a loved one. Former presenter and comedian Matt Lucas, 49, and his late husband Kevin McGee had a pantomime-themed ceremony at Home House in London in December 2006 in front of stars such as Barbara Windsor and Elton John.

The stars celebrated at the private members club where they asked guests to dress up as their favourite nursery rhyme characters.

They split in 2008 following an 18-month marriage and Kevin died by suicide in 2009. To mark the tenth anniversary of his death, Matt posted a loving tribute that read: "I loved him more than anyone I’ve ever met, and still do. He was so funny and silly and clever and kind and handsome and his smile made my heart soar. 

"We were together for nearly six years and he made me the happiest man on the planet. In the end he lost his battle with addiction and depression. I guess some people don’t have the armor for this world. I think of him probably a hundred times a day, every day. 

"In truth, I think of little else. I would give anything to see him again and maybe one day I will, but for now I will be grateful for the time we had together and the love we shared. It was like no other." 

Sandi Toksvig

Debbie Toksvig in a white jacket and Sandi Toksvig in a blue suit at their vow renewal© Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock

Former presenter Sandi Toksvig had a civil ceremony with her wife Debbie Toksvig in 2007, but they renewed their vows when same-sex marriage was legalised in 2014. 

For the latter, they gathered their loved ones at Royal Festival Hall, where Sandi walked down the aisle on the arm of her daughter wearing a pastel blue suit. Meanwhile, her wife looked stunning in a striped shirt and a bridal white jacket.

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