Paul Hollywood has claimed Mary Berry "abandoned" the ‘Great British Bake Off’.
The 51-year-old celebrity baker came under fire last year when he announced that he was moving with the cooking show when Channel 4 swiped the rights to the format from the BBC as part of a mega-money deal, but he can’t understand why he was the one to get all the stick when it was his co-judge and presenters Mel and Sue who had decided to walk away from the programme out of "loyalty" to the channel.
Speaking to the Radio Times magazine, he said: "The girls abandoned it. But I was the one put under siege. I became the most hated man in the country!
"It’s not fun for someone that doesn’t like being in the limelight. I didn’t set out to be on the telly, I set out to be a good baker. And I didn’t want this…"
The silver fox has admitted it wouldn’t take a lot for him to walk away from television.
He added: "If you give me a cheque, you’ll never see me again."
Asked how big a cheque it would take, he replied: "Not much, to be honest."
However, despite hitting the headlines when he revealed he was moving to Channel 4 because the tent – where the bakers prepare their delights – is where he "belongs", it worked out well for Paul as he was given a new presenting team in the shape of Prue Leith – his co-judge – and Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding as the hosts.
And, although many were skeptical about the show’s new home, it has done well in the ratings, with 10 million people tuning in to see Sophie Faldo win the last series.
However, Paul is frustrated with the people who refused to tune in to the show over the summer because they were so cut up about it being swiped from the BBC.
He told the publication: "There are people who can’t get past channel one, the older generation, who don’t understand how that works. They only flick a couple of buttons and it takes three clicks to watch Channel 4."
Paul Hollywood slams Mary Berry after she ‘abandoned’ Great British Bake Off
