Paul Hollywood, judge on The Great British Bake Off, is to divorce his wife, Alexandra. It has now been announced that Alexandra Hollywood, who was married to celebrity baker Paul for 15 years, has filed for divorce from him on the grounds of his adulterty.
Paul, who rose to fame after his pastry and bread recipes hit the small screen in 2010, has not denied Alexandra's claims and has admitted that he is responsible for their marriage breaking down. "It's my fault. I am very sad about what has happened," said Paul, 47, "I do feel very sad about it and what it brought on the family. "News of Paul and Alexandra's separation broke in May and just days after The Great British Bake Off star turned up at the TV Baftas without his wife, his agent confirmed the news.
Paul and Alexandra in October 2012
Friends of the couple, who have a son Joshua, aged 11, were shocked by the end of the marriage and Paul has since been living in a Kent studio flat after leaving the family home a short drive away.
The split comes shortly after Paul returned from LA, where he has been filming a US version of the hit show, The American Baking Competition where he has reportedly became close to Marcela Valladolid, his 34-year-old co-star.
Divorced mum-of-one Marcela, the US version of Mary Berry, and Paul are said to have "hit it off from day one" with Tequila brand owner Marcella describing him as a "handsome devil". During his time in LA, Paul — dubbed the George Clooney of baking — and Marcela frequently shared pictures of themselves on Twitter, and have continued to talk on the social networking site since his return.
After coming back to the UK, Alexandra said the dynamics of their marriage had changed. "I feel utterly bewildered and incredibly sad. Paul went to America and when he came back everything was different, everything had changed," revealed Alexandra. "I'm distraught, completely devastated, but I don’t want or need revenge," added Alexandra. "I just want us both to be able to rebuild our lives for the sake of our son Joshua, because he is the most important person in our lives."
Following the highly publicised separation, Alexandra, who first met Paul when he was working as a chef in a top hotel in Cyprus, took to Twitter to speak honestly about her situation. "I've lived in a bubble all these years," she tweeted. "I had no idea of the strength you need to go it alone. Single mothers, I salute you!"