Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Bake Off Paul & barmaid, 22 in champers bash at pub
Bake Off star gave barmaid bubbly
PAUL Hollywood treated his barmaid pal to bubbly on a big night out and let her use his chauffeurdriven Rolls-royce to get to celebrations for her 22nd birthday.
The Great British Bake Off star, who has split from wife of 20 years Alexandra, became friends with Summer Monteys-Fullam when she worked at his local, the Duke William in Ickham, Kent.
A local resident said: “Summer is quite naturally flirtatious. When he came into the pub by himself, they would be tactile and gently nudge each other as they laughed and joked.”
Paul, 51, had moved into a £1.4million home nearby last year along with Alexandra and their 16-year-old son Joshua.
Summer has boasted to friends about her new celebrity friend’s generosity.
One night, Paul treated Summer and her pals – including some from the Duke – to champagne during a night out in Canterbury at The Pound pub, which is a former prison.
Paul settled the substantial bill himself, and the source said: “Summer was very impressed by the gesture.”
When Summer turned 22 in May, Paul loaned her his chauffeur-driven Rollsroyce to get to a night out with friends.
Another source said: “Summer was drinking in the Duke before heading out, and Paul was there with friends.
“She mentioned that she was waiting for a taxi, but Paul told her to just take his Rolls-royce.
“It meant she could arrive at her birthday celebrations in style. She was very excited about it, and gushed about it to everyone.”
Paul and Summer reportedly enjoyed dinner and drinks at posh London hotel, The Dorchester. A source close to the TV baker said: “Paul and Summer have known each other for some time, but it’s only ever been as friends.
“There has never been any romantic involvement and the reports are untrue.
“Paul and Alex are trying to keep a low profile to deal with their separation in private.” The couple announced their split in a statement last week, saying: “It is with sadness that we have decided to separate. Our focus continues to be the happiness of our son during this very difficult time.”
They did not give any reason for the break-up, which came weeks after Paul was pictured sharing a kiss with former Bake Off winner Candice Brown, 32, who has laughed it off as a “goodbye peck”.
Paul and chef Alex previously separated in 2013 after he admitted an affair with his co-star on the US version of Bake Off, Marcela Valladolid, 39.
He later said: “It was the biggest mistake of my life because actually I still love my wife.”
The couple rekindled the relationship in 2015, with Paul saying: “I think this is the happiest we’ve ever been.”
Summer, who this summer told friends she was dating a professional footballer, has moved out of her parents’ £1million home to a cottage in Bishopsbourne, Kent.
She quit her job at the Duke in recent weeks.
Paul told her to take his Rolls. She gushed about it to everyone SOURCE ON SUMMER’S BIRTHDAY TREAT