A. S. Dagnell - Paul Hollywood: Bread, buns & baking : the unauthorised biography of Britain’s best-loved baker

I t should have been a blissful, triumphant moment in Paul Hollywoods life. He was returning to the UK and his life had changed forever. As he sat on the transatlantic jetliner he must have been thinking about how much he had changed. One moment he was running a successful bakery business. A baker by trade, he had grown up around bread, croissants and pastries. His whole family had baked both for fun and to make an honest living. And Paul had followed in their footsteps from a young age. But he had taken baking to a whole new level, for in a short space of time he had managed to cross over to become one of Britains fastest-rising TV stars. BBC bosses had recruited him to be the face of a new series that had become an overnight hit. The Great British Bake Off had flown in the ratings and alongside the doyenne of British baking, Mary Berry, Paul had become the face of the series, judging a string of contestants on their various bakes as they vied to become Britains next big baker. He had gone from being a master baker to Britains next big telly chef.

And then, as if that wasnt enough, life was about to take a dramatic turn. But not all of it was good. After wrapping up the third series of The Great British Bake Off in 2012, rumours suddenly started circulating. First, newspapers were reporting that the hit British series was going stateside. That was nothing out of the ordinary; it was a well-trodden path for successful homegrown TV shows, like X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing, to be rolled out in the United States. But next the tabloids began linking Paul to the new US series. Would he reprise his role in the US show? Was this the start of a glitzy Hollywood career (for Hollywood)? And if he took the job, would he turn his back on the British version of the show?

The truth was that Paul would sign for the CBS series. Amid all the speculation and hearsay, he signed on the dotted line to reprise his role as a judge on the American version of Bake Off, aptly named The American Baking Competition. Here was a true rags-to-riches tale. For the bakers son from the Wirral, who had started out in the family business, it was monumental for he was now on the verge of becoming a household name in the States with the world at his feet. Naturally, he was brimming with enthusiasm for his new role. I think its going to be fantastic, he told the Sun newspaper. Theyve got things like Mississippi mud pie and pumpkin pie. Theyre known for their baking so I think it will be a great success.

The quote underlined all that Hollywood was about. Yes, it was hugely exciting to be launched as a TV star in the US. It would bring huge opportunities for himself and his supportive wife Alexandra and their young son Joshua. But more importantly, it was all about the baking. The fact that the first thing he was to focus on when describing the pros of being involved in the American series is the delight he would feel when exploring the different types of baking recipes that would be available shows just how much he cared.

For him baking had become a way of life. His enthusiasm, dedication and commitment are second to none. These qualities have made him Britains best-loved baker. Its hard to imagine that anyone cares more about producing a tasty sourdough or baking a fresh batch of scones than Paul Hollywood other than his Bake Off co-presenter, Mary Berry, of course, but his professional baking background is what sets him apart. It was his passion for his craft, alongside his popular appeal, that had propelled him to stardom and secured him what was speculated to be a lucrative contract in the US.

Now, as the summer of 2013 was fast approaching, he filmed his first series of The American Baking Competition. All was set for the launch of the show on 29 May. With his commitments complete, Paul made the trip back to the UK. And as he sat on the airplane bound for London, you might imagine that he was feeling more content than ever. With stateside success in the offing, surely this was a time for celebration?

Not quite. For Paul was heading back to face one of the toughest times of his life. His 15-year marriage to his wife Alexandra had hit the rocks, and within days the British newspapers would break the story of their separation. This would undoubtedly be a testing time and cast a dark shadow over what should have been an incredible highlight in his career.

But this wasnt a straightforward separation, for the tabloids quickly linked the break-up to Pauls apparent close friendship with his new co-judge on The American Baking Competition the young, pretty, glamorous Mexican-born Marcela Valladolid, 13 years his junior. The press speculated as to whether he and Marcela were indeed an item and even suggested they were planning to move in together. A media storm would erupt, with his whole reputation at stake. And there was nothing he could do to stop it not even via his prolific use of the social networking site Twitter, where he would regularly connect with his fans and on which he kept an uncannily low profile as the news broke. It was testament to the fickle nature of celebrity; one minute you are everyones hero, the next it could all turn to rubble.

He himself had become only too aware of how quickly his life was changing. In one interview with the Sunday Mirror, he reflected on how much his stardom had risen in just 12 months of being on The Great British Bake Off. It is quite cultish, isnt it? he said, almost naively, not realising the full extent to which the show had grown almost tripling its viewing figures over the course of three series. Its all about timing, he went on to say, when you become a product of a big programme, you get busier and its hard trying to fit everything in. I am just really enjoying myself.