5 MINUTES WITH...
Ol’ blue eyes Paul Hollywood, 53, who’s landed a really cushty gig with his new Food Network TV show – eating his way around America (basically...)
What was the inspiration for this?
I watch a lot of movies in my down time, and this is a bit like a love letter to some of my favourite ones, such as The Godfather, Forrest Gump and Easy Rider. To visit some of the locations where they were set was amazing. New York has such a brilliant vibe about it – it was like walking around one big film set anyway And you get to ride a Harley Davidson as well?
I think Easy Rider was part of the inspiration for this series. What you didn’t see or hear was that I was playing tunes in my head – music from the 60s and 70s, from bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. I was in my own little world when I was riding. I was going to put on a big leather coat like Keanu Reeves does in The Matrix – but it wouldn’t have been very practical to wear on the motorbike!
You’re on a road trip from New York to Los Angeles, eating along the way?
The portions are huge. The starters are like a main course
– the mains are like a buffet. I asked for an apple pie and literally a whole apple pie arrived. I was like, “You’re joking! Is that just for me?” Of course, I managed to eat it all. You don’t get a figure like mine by ignoring apple pie.
And celeb guests like Teri Hatcher join you to cook?
I know Teri from when she did Celebrity Bake Off. She was in a Bond film, and she was Superman’s girlfriend, so she was a must for a movie show – and she bakes, so it was the perfect combination. It was also amazing to have [ Friends star] Lisa Kudrow on board. She’s very quiet and giggles a lot.