Alexandra Hollywood, ex-wife of Great British Bake Off judge Paul, has claimed she’s found “true happiness” being single after years of a “marriage over-seasoned with extra-marital affairs”.
During her twenty-year marriage to Paul they welcomed a son, Josh, but their partnership was plagued by rumours of infidelities on Paul’s part, most notably with his American counterpart on the U.S. version of the show, Marcela Valladolid.
And now Alex – who’s never been shy of speaking her mind – has hinted that his affair with Marcela (which led to her filing for divorce in 2015), as well as his relationship with then 21-year-old barmaid in 2017 shortly after their split, weren’t the only instance of her former husband allegedly playing away from home.
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Speaking of finding happiness in being alone, Alex wrote on Instagram, “It’s taken me a while to get here and it hasn’t been easy, but I love the woman I am now.
“I know only too well that not every marriage/partnership is a recipe for happiness and success.
“My own marriage was too over seasoned with extra marital affairs for my taste and so I opted out and chose the single menu instead. It wasn’t easy and it took some getting used to.
“I wasn’t even sure I liked it much at first, but as I regained my confidence, my freedom and myself after so long, I discovered that it really isn’t a cliché to say happiness really does comes from within.”
CHECK OUT: Paul Hollywood girlfriend - who has the GBBO star dated?
Paul Hollywood girlfriend - who has the GBBO star dated?
1 of 4Alex Hollywood, 1998 - 2019
When Paul first hit the big time with his judging role on BBC's Great British Bake Off in 2010 he seemed like a family man dedicated to his son Josh and wife of twelve years, fellow celebrity chef Alex Hollywood. However, his squeaky clean image was soon tarred with reports of affairs.
2 of 4Marcela Valladolid, 2013
In 2013, Alex filed for divorce after Paul's affair with his Great American Baking show co-star, Marcela Valladolid, was exposed. During their time apart Paul even went on holiday to Mallorca with Marcela and her family, but it was reported their romance quickly cooled off and Paul and Alex gave their marriage another go.
3 of 4Summer Monteys-Fullam, 2017 - 2019
Paul's relationship with twenty-one-year-old Summer was the stuff of tabloid dreams. While Paul and Summer both insisted there was no overlap, Alex contested this and filed for divorce a second time in 2017 over infidelity claims. Despite the romance costing him his marriage, it wasn't to last and Summer ended things two years later after Paul asked her to sign an NDA.
4 of 4Melissa Spalding, 2019 -
Following his very public split from Summer, Paul went official with another local barmaid (well, she's the landlady really), this time a more appropriately aged one in the form of Melissa Spalding. After spending lockdown together, Paul and Melissa made their first red carpet appearance at The Kings Man premier in London in December 2021.
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As well as his well-publicised affair with Marcela in 2017, Paul began dating Summer Monteys-Fullam in 2017 after meeting a party the GBBO star had organised for his wife at the pub where Summer was working. Despite the rumour mill going into overdrive about a potential overlap, Paul always insisted that his relationship with Summer began after his marriage ended, while Alex disputed this. It wasn’t to last though, and the romance with Summer ended abruptly two years later when she refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Speaking exclusively to Closer online in 2019, Summer said of her relationship with Paul, “I didn’t have a representative, so I didn’t have anyone to defend me – to say this or that isn’t true. I fought that on my own, although with my family, of course. Now, I am being 100 per cent myself. I was 22 then, and now I’m 24. I’m more mature and more mindful of what’s out there.
“I don’t think someone in a relationship should sign an NDA. If you’re in a relationship, you need to have mutual trust, loyalty and respect for one another. I think that when you bring an NDA into it, then that person doesn’t have trust, loyalty or respect for you.”
She added, “I don’t agree with NDAs in relationships. I understand if it’s for a very sensitive job role, but not in a relationship. I don’t even agree with prenups! I would say no woman or man should sign one.”