Paul Hollywood has reportedly signed a bumper six-figure deal to star in new Compare the Market adverts.
The Great British Bake Off host isn’t really known for lending his name to campaigns like this, but he is said to be following in the footsteps of Hollywood stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nicole Kidman and Macaulay Culkin, who have previously appeared alongside the meerkats.
According to reports, he thought the pitch from the company was ‘funny and clever’, and so he was happy to put pen to paper on a deal.
‘This is particularly surprising given that the Bake Off judge very rarely lends his name to anything or takes part in campaigns,’ an insider told The Sun.
‘But the meerkat ads are well-liked and he thought the way they were going to use him was funny and clever.
‘And Paul is an international star worthy of an international campaign because Bake Off has made him a famous face around the world.’
It’s expected that Paul’s surname will be used as a pun to help promote the company’s 2-4-1 cinema tickets offer.
Meanwhile, the 57-year-old Bake Off judge was recently awarded an MBE for his services to baking and broadcasting.
Speaking after he received the honour from The Princess Royal at Windsor Castle, he told the BBC: ‘I was over the moon. When I [first found out] I told my mum and she was silent on the phone, which is quite unusual for my mum.
‘I wish my nan had seen it. She was very fond of the Royal Family, as we all are. But specifically she would’ve been over the moon. But my mum was here today so she was loving it.’
Paul added that he has ‘always been fond’ of Princess Anne after meeting her a few years ago at Buckingham Palace.
He said: ‘We were all with members of the royal family and I just happened to be there with Princess Anne. So to see her again was fantastic.
‘She did say “baking is so integral to the DNA of us all. We love the smell”. And I said “absolutely, I grew up with the smell”. I think she’s particularly fond of Chelsea buns. I promised her some, so I put myself on the spot there.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted Paul Hollywood’s representatives for comment.
