The Great British Bake Off contestant revealed what judge Paul Hollywood is really like off-camera and shared her thoughts on this year’s series
A former Great British Bake Off contestant said Paul Hollywood displayed a different side to him away from the cameras, when she became upset during filming. Briony May Williams, who came fourth in the 2018 series, burst into tears during Cake Week when “every element” of her showstopper went wrong.
At the time, the chef branded her seven veils cake “a disaster” after she “overcooked” the mirror glaze, and was additionally left with uncooked pastry during her creation.
“I am usually pretty comfortable with making pastry, but something happened that day and it all went very wrong,” she revealed.
Although the blunder initially brought Briony to tears, she said they soon turned to laughter thanks to Paul’s off-camera response, reports Wales Online.
She revealed: “I never got a [Paul Hollywood] handshake. I did, however, get a Hollywood hug off-camera when I was really upset about my cake on Cake Week, my showstopper, because it was really bad.
“I was upset, I was sat on my bench crying and I realised someone was stood behind me and I turned around and it was Paul.
“He gave me a really big hug and he said, ‘It’s okay it’s only a f*****g cake’. And yeah, that just really made me laugh.”
Discussing further what Paul is really like away from the cameras, Briony said he typically maintains a professional distance from contestants.
“He kind of keeps his distance, which I think is fair because if he was all Mr Nicey Nicey off camera, I think you’d ruin that sort of relationship,” she revealed. “We need that kind of [scary persona]. I think that’s part of what makes the programme so good and so interesting.
“So yeah, [he’s] very pleasant, you know, [a] really nice man, but he would just kind of keep his distance a little bit more, which I thought was fair enough.”
This year, a fresh batch of bakers stepped into the iconic tent in the hope of being crowned the 2025 champion.
Last week saw Lesley become the seventh baker to depart after she struggled to impress the judges during the show’s first ever meringue-themed week.
Speaking on BBC Radio Kent about her time on the programme, Lesley said her standout moment was meeting Paul.
Despite him not being impressed with her creation, she called him “a lovely guy”, adding: “He made the right choice, my meringue was terrible.”
Discussing her views on the current series, Briony went on to say: “I love this year. I think Jasmine’s doing brilliantly. I really like her and I really like Toby as well and he did so well this week.
“I watch it every year. I was a fan of it long before I was on it, so every year when it comes on I get really excited to watch it and you know things like meringue week, they’ve never done that before.”
Understanding precisely how the bakers feel, the former semi-finalist confessed she still experiences “heart palpitations when the music comes on”.
“I feel for them so much when their bakes are really critiqued and they’re getting upset,” she added.
“Because at the time you think, or when you’re watching it you think, ‘Oh it’s only a cake, why are they getting so upset?’, but when you were in the tent it’s such a big deal that you just feel completely overwhelmed by it.”
The Great British Bake Off continues tonight at 8pm on Channel 4. The Retro Recipe Society by Briony May Williams is available online via Amazon, TikTok Shop, Found.us, and all major e-book retailers now.