How Paul Hollywood's Ex-Wife Helped Him Land His First Gig

Celebrity chef, Paul Hollywood, has definitely carved a presence for himself in the television industry. According to Delish, Hollywood initially visualized himself as a sculptor, but changed his mind when his father asked him to join the family's bakery business. After working there and realizing how much he enjoyed it, Hollywood landed opportunities at many reputable places like Chester Grovenor, the Dorchester, and the Cliveden House.

The expert cook also went a step further and studied baking and its ancient practices in several different locations such as Jordan, Egypt, and Cyprus. However, Hollywood is especially fond of the career he's been able to forge for himself from his time as a judge on "The Great British Baking Show." Even after the series switched to a different network he explained, "It's been a huge part of my life in the past few years, and I just couldn't turn my back on all that." However, getting into television wasn't always on the forefront of his mind. 

Hollywood's ex-wife, Alexandra, was a scuba diving trainer, as well as a guest relations manager at a hotel in Paphos, Cyprus, where the chef worked as well. Alexandra was very keen on motivating Hollywood to push himself. For example, when a British television company was working on a food show at the hotel and asked Alexandra for local contacts that could help out with insightful information on Cyproit cuisine, Alexandra urged them to think about talking to Hollywood.

"Paul is so gregarious, he knows everything," she told The Daily Mail. "If there's a good place to eat, he will know it." Alexandra arranged a meeting between the two parties, something that helped Hollywood in a big way because this was the beginning of his television career. The crew loved him, so when he moved back to the U.K. he hired an agent and started working in food television. The rest as they say, is history.