Shake it up:

Paul Hollywood, a judge on The Great British Bake Off, talks about his trademark way of showing contestants they have done a great job.

Paul Hollywood talks about his signature handshake for a job well done.

If there is one thing The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood is known for, it’s his handshake.

On the reality competition series, the experienced baker and TV presenter sometimes lets the show’s contestants know how they are faring by a firm grasp of the hand.

This gesture has been nicknamed ‘the Hollywood Handshake’.

“I don’t know when the Hollywood Handshake really started,” says Hollywood, who is currently on screen in the show’s ninth season.

“I shook a baker’s hand once to say ‘Well done’ and it’s followed on from there.”

Hollywood reserves his handshake for when the contestants’ baking efforts are “pretty much perfect”.

“This season I have had moments when I have given out three in a challenge and I have given one out in a showstopper,” he says.

“Even Prue (Leith) now says, ‘Go on, give them a Hollywood Handshake’, but I won’t unless I feel they have really earned it.”

Hollywood has been with The Great British Bake Off since it began when he shared judging duties with Mary Berry, who has left the series. This is his second season judging baking treats with Leith.

The competition show is hosted by Danish-born British media personality Sandi Toksvig and actor Noel Fielding, who starred in the cult comedy The Mighty Boosh.

“We are a dysfunctional family and it shouldn’t work but it does,” says Hollywood.

“The camaraderie is very tight. It’s very natural and genuine and we enjoy each other’s company.

“At Christmas last year we even had our own Christmas Bake Off lunch at Sandi’s for a Danish roast, which was delicious, and had some excellent wines ...

“We spend so much time together and we are all very different personalities. It’s naturally happened, nothing is forced. Noel and I share an arty side and the comedy element across all four is the binding thing. We share the same sense of humour.”

Just don’t call Hollywood the villain of the show. “Everyone has always tried to wrap me up as that role inside and outside of Bake Off,” he says. “I am not a villain. I am straight down the line. When it comes to judging I am always fair.”