Paul Hollywood has insisted he didn’t stick with the ‘Great British Bake Off’ just for the pay cheque.
The 51-year-old baker was handed a mega sum of money, a reported £400,000 a series, to join the popular baking show when it moves to Channel 4 from the BBC later this year, but he says it was his loyalty to the team behind the programme that made him accept the offer – not the salary increase.
He told TV Times magazine: "There can be as many as 100 people working behind the scenes and it’s the same people every year. I’m always very loyal to the people I work with.
"I am on screen but we are all part of the team.
"Now [that the new series] is approaching, I’m getting excited. Chapter one has finished, the ride was amazing and now chapter two is about to start."
It comes following the news that the hunky Liverpudlian’s potential new co-host, Prue Leith, is reportedly expected to earn three times more than Mary Berry if she takes over as a judge.
The 77-year-old restaurateur was first approached about the role earlier this year, and is now believed to have been offered £200,000, completely dwarfing the £70,000 offered to 81-year-old Mary when the programme was still with rival broadcaster BBC.
A source recently said: "Prue is a cooking legend and has a lot of respect in the food world. The BBC were really under-paying both Mary and Paul during their time on the show.
"’Bake Off’ had a relatively low budget which didn’t increase even as its popularity went through the roof. That meant the stars were left on very low salaries in relation to the show’s huge success. Prue will be on a lot of money but it’s not an unexpected amount for one of the main faces on a show as big as ‘Bake Off’ to be earning."
Paul Hollywood isn’t returing to Great British Bake Off for the money
