Great British Bake Off’s own Paul Hollywood has divulged details of his unexpected camaraderie with A-list actress Blake Lively. In an interview with The Times, the renowned baker talked about his interaction with celebrity admirers of the Channel 4 hit show, such as Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Michael J Fox, and Lynda Carter, and even mentioned a shoutout from Kylie Jenner to her immense Instagram audience, declaring Bake Off as her most-cherished programme.
He shared: “I’ve got a lot of time for Blake. She texts occasionally, sort of to catch up on what she’s been up to, what Ryan’s up to. It’s lovely, because regardless of their job, they’re just a normal family, mum and dad to some great kids.”
Hollywood added, “They’re really nice people. I like that communication. I don’t have many friends who are celebrities, it’s not me. I don’t go to a lot of red-carpet stuff. I don’t go to the parties up in London. I don’t like London.”
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Paul also touched upon his personal struggles, revealing his battle with “severe” carpal tunnel syndrome which he attributes to kneading dough since he was 17, a skill honed at his family bakery following his departure from Wallasey Art School as reported by Wales Online.
The TV host is facing the frightening possibility of losing sensation in his hands without medical help. However, he has revealed a deep fear of operations and has cut down on his baking to cope with the issue, reports the Mirror.
Sharing his troubles on the Graham Norton Show, Paul confided, “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’.”