Paul Hollywood, the beloved judge on the Great British Bake Off, has recently opened up about his struggles with health, sharing the impact of severe carpal tunnel syndrome on his professional life. The 58-year-old has battled the painful condition, stemming from years of kneading dough, which has significantly impaired his baking activities.
Since becoming a household name when the show debuted on BBC Two back in 2010, Hollywood has been synonymous with baking excellence. First stepping foot in the kitchen at his family’s bakery at just 17, Hollywood's four-decade baking career has not come without its challenges. Long hours spent kneading and shaping dough have resulted in troubling nerve damage to his wrists, prompting him to make significant changes to how he approaches his craft.
During his recent appearance on the Graham Norton Show, he revealed, “I’ve got carpal tunnel syndrome in both my wrists, it’s severe. It was diagnosed about four years ago, I went to speak to a consultant about it and he said, ‘Listen, you’re going to have to have an operation.’” This news has understandably petrified him, leading to declining hands-on baking activity. “I don’t actually bake as much hands on as I used to, I miss it. But now I’ve sort of stopped baking as much as I used to, it’s actually alleviated a lot of the pain,” he shared.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects around one in twenty people across Britain, derives from the compression of the median nerve, causing painful symptoms and numbness. Thankfully, Hollywood is not alone; his former co-host Mary Berry, who is respected as one of Britain’s baking icons, experienced similar issues. Paul recalled, “I did speak to Mary about it and she goes, ‘Oh I had it done.’” Despite the encouragement, the thought of undergoing surgery strikes fear, especially when he considers his passion for racing cars, mentioning, “It just petrified me the idea of slicing the band. Because I race cars at the moment, it’s really difficult. I’d rather not do it at the moment.”
Yet Hollywood's reach extends beyond health; astonishingly, he has garnered attention from Hollywood actors for his famous handshake—a notable gesture of appreciation shown to contestants on the Bake Off. Speaking with ITV’s Alan Titchmarsh on his show, Love Your Weekend, Hollywood described how even A-list celebrities, such as Blake Lively, are captivated by his signature move. “For me, it was just a ‘well done.’ It’s excitement for me - I love baking, and when I see something I like it’s like, ‘fantastic, you’ve done a really good job.'” Lively mentioned her hopes of earning one of Hollywood’s coveted handshakes after sharing her own baking endeavors on Instagram.
Paul elaborated on the amusing interaction, explaining, “So I sent an emoji of a handshake to her and she came back and repeated it and put it on her site and everyone was like ‘Paul Hollywood’s giving you a handshake.’ I just find it all a bit over the top.” It appears his enthusiasm for baking transcends the limits of the kitchen, captivating celebrity culture as well.
Continuing on the festive spirit, Hollywood recently announced Chris Bisson as the champion of The Great Christmas Bake Off alongside fellow judge Prue Leith. The competition featured numerous celebrities, including Natalie Cassidy from EastEnders and other familiar faces from British soap operas, proving once more just how popular Bake Off has become. Hollywood described the contest as “very close” but felt Bisson “got progressively stronger” throughout the rounds, inching out other contestants.
Reflecting on his career, Paul expressed his gratitude for working alongside esteemed colleagues noting, “I’m very fond of the two Dames,” referring to Prue and Mary. He remarked on the joy of their collaboration and the lessons learned, highlighting the warmth of relationships built over their shared experiences, including light-hearted comments on their after-hours drinks: “The difference I suppose is I’d have a gin with Prue and a glass of white wine with Mary at the end of the day.”
Fans of Paul Hollywood can catch him next on Channel 4 for the Hogmanay-themed Bake Off special airing on January 3, which promises to deliver holiday cheer alongside delightful baking challenges.