Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, the judges of the well-known Channel 4 show, have opened up about how they are viewed by viewers.
Prue Leith has leapt to the defence of her fellow judge, Paul Hollywood, over his so-called “horrible” image on The Great British Bake Off. Speaking from the iconic tent at Welford Park in Berkshire, the Bake Off judges shed light on their roles and how they’re seen by fans of the Channel 4 programme.
They are perceived quite differently by the general public, with her being seen as kind and Paul as being portrayed as being “horrible,” according to Prue, a restaurateur from South Africa.
The chef disclosed that their chat about the bakes in Cake Corner is generally to “inform and remind” the viewers, as, in reality, Prue and Paul could “do it in two seconds”.
Prue told Radio Times magazine: “The audience often say that I’m kind and Paul’s horrible, but if you look at our scores out of 10, we’re never more than one point apart. I think I’ve given one 10 in nine years… I can’t remember to who though!”.
She continued, “I once said, “It’s not worth the calories.” Because you are aware that any baking is high in fat and sugar, I have to ask, “Do I really want to eat this?” Am I ready to gain weight?
However, it appears Prue had a change of heart regarding this particular remark, as people would say they “felt judged” for enjoying cake and thought she was being “fattist”.
Paul stated: “I’ve never given a 10, only a 9.5. A handshake is very close to a 10. These are amateur bakers, but if they get a handshake from me, it means it’s very professional.”
Prue continued that Paul frequently claims he won’t be handing any cookies, but that inevitably his hand will “come out” when a bake is so impressive that he “can’t resist.” She also brought up the concept behind her own translation, “Prue pat.”
In other developments, Paul, who has been on the show since 2010, reportedly showed a different side away from the cameras. Briony May Williams, who came fourth in the 2018 series, broke down in tears when “every element” of her showstopper went awry.
On the show, the chef labelled her creation “a disaster” as she “overcooked” the mirror glaze and was unfortunately left with uncooked pastry. However, Paul’s off-camera actions revealed a gentler side.
She made it clear that she had never received a Paul Hollywood handshake. However, I was given a Hollywood hug off-camera when Cake Week’s showpiece cake was really bad.
When I realized someone was standing behind me and that Paul was standing behind me, I was upset and was crying while I was sat on my bench. I turned around.
He gave me a very big hug before telling me, “It’s okay, it’s just a f*g cake.” And yes, I was really entertained by that.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply