Paul Hollywood set to be divorced at London court today

Paul Hollywood is divorced in less than a minute after judge agrees that TV chef committed adultery and that his wife of 19 years found it ‘intolerable’ to live with him

• Bake Off star split from Alexandra Hollywood in 2017 after 19 years married
• District Judge granted a divorce decree at Central Family Court this morning
• Mr Hollywood admitted affair with Marcela Valladolid, co-star on US Bake Off

Paul Hollywood his then wife Alexandra are pictured at The O2 in London in January 2015

The marriage of Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood and his estranged wife ended today after she was granted a divorce on the grounds of adultery.

The 53-year-old celebrity baker split from Alexandra Hollywood, 55, in 2017 after 19 years of marriage.

District Judge Robert Duddridge held that Mr Hollywood had committed adultery and that his wife found it ‘intolerable’ to live with him. 

He concluded at the Central Family Court in London today that the marriage had broken down irretrievably. 

The judge granted a divorce decree in the hearing, which lasted less than a minute. Neither party was present.

Court papers showed Mrs Hollywood had filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery. 

Judge Duddridge granted a decree nisi, which is the first step towards their divorce being finalised.

Mr Hollywood’s girlfriend is Summer Monteys-Fullam (left), 24, pictured in 2018. He admitted having an affair with Marcela Valladolid, a co-star on the US version of Bake Off (right, in 2013) 

Once a decree nisi has been granted, a divorce petitioner has to wait six weeks and a day to apply for a decree absolute – the final dissolution of the marriage.

Mr and Mrs Hollywood were previously reunited following a brief separation in 2013 after he admitted having an affair with Marcela Valladolid, his co-star on the US version of Bake Off.

At a hearing earlier this month, Judge Martin O’Dwyer was told that a week-long hearing to resolve contested financial remedy proceedings was due to begin on July 22.

However, Mr Hollywood’s legal team confirmed yesterday that the hearing will no longer go ahead, by agreement between the parties and with the court’s approval.

Mr Hollywood is pictured with his Bake Off co-stars Noel Fielding, Sandi Toksvig and Prue Leith

Judge O’Dwyer previously imposed reporting restrictions preventing the publication of any information relating to the parties’ finances which came out of the proceedings, but not covering any information which was ‘legitimately in the public domain’.

Mr Hollywood’s barrister, Adam Wolanski QC, had expressed concern that newspaper reports contained information about the parties’ finances which might have been leaked.

But Alexander Chandler, representing Mrs Hollywood, said his client had not disclosed any information to the press, telling the court: ‘She was not the source and she had nothing to do with that story which referred to the financial details of the parties.’ 

Mrs Hollywood took the baker back into her life after the couple separated in 2013, but their marriage was finally over four years later.

Alexandra Hollywood, 55, poses with some of her kitchen creations in September 2013

In an interview with Prima magazine, Mrs Hollywood later said: ‘I don’t regret taking Paul back that first time. I never regret anything I’ve done.

‘I thought things through and it was the right thing to do for me and my son. Hindsight is a wonderful thing…

‘I don’t feel angry with Paul – though of course there’s a certain amount of hurt. Anger is emotive and I’m not carrying that around with me. All it does is upset you.’ 

Mr Hollywood is now in a relationship with Summer Monteys-Fullam.

Earlier this year, Mrs Hollywood denied verbally abusing Ms Monteys-Fullam during an incident at a supermarket.

Mr and Mrs Hollywood are pictured in October 2006 outside their home in Kent at the time

The pair met one another by chance at a Marks & Spencer store in Canterbury, Kent, and became embroiled in a dispute, according to a report at the time.

A representative for Mrs Hollywood later denied she had verbally abused Ms Monteys-Fullam during the incident, to which police were called.

‘Alex was shocked to bump into Summer in her local supermarket but even in that difficult situation, she still did not and would not ever verbally abuse anyone’, the statement said.

‘Alex has kept a dignified position throughout the last 14 months which have been extremely challenging, and continues to do so.’

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