‘Bake off’ judge with a 
taste for salty fast food

Bread expert Hollywood and baking queen Mary Berry will crown the winner of the third series of the BBC2 show, which has become a surprise hit, tonight.

Hollywood told the Radio Times that he developed a hankering for salt after filming an episode of The Great British Bake Off and sampling the contestants’ sugary creations.

Hollywood said: “I crave salt. We recently filmed our Christmas special and on the way back to our hotel I pulled into a drive-in McDonald’s with Bezza – that’s my pet name for Mary Berry.

“I’d been eating cakes all day and had a big craving. ‘Big Mac, large fries...what do you want Bezza?’ She wasn’t impressed!”

Brendan Lynch, James Morton and John Whaite are competing to be crowned Best Amateur Baker in a last challenge which will see them create pithiviers, fondant fancies and chiffon sponges.

Hollywood said that he could not watch other baking shows.

Asked about the last TV programme he switched off, he said: The Hairy Bikers’ Bakeation. I find it very difficult to watch other baking programmes because I disagree with everything.

“I’m such a stickler it has to be my way or the highway. When I see things done differently, I get really wound up.”

Hollywood also said he would give “serious thought” to competing on Strictly Come Dancing.