We’ll bake lots of dough in the US
ITV bosses have told Paul Hollywood making it big in the US will be a piece of cake if he and Mary Berry agree to leave the BBC.
Executives at the channel are desperate to poach the Great British Bake Off from the Beeb and are willing to pay around £ 20million to secure the show.
And programme makers Love Productions – whose contract with the BBC ends this year – are understood to be interested in a switch.
But a sticking point remains persuading Paul, 50, and Mary, 81, to quit the Beeb, where they are happy.
Bosses at ITV Studios – the f irm’s production arm – have told Love Productions they can make Britain’s top TV show “a global success ”.
They have vowed to do for Paul and Mary what they did for Gordon Ramsay, who has gone on to be an international superstar thanks to shows such as Hell’s Kitchen.
It comes after both of the Bake Off judges’ earlier efforts on US telly flopped.
Paul ’ s cookery show bombed when he was slated for cheating on his wife with his American co- star, TV chef Marcela Valladolid.
And Mary’s Great Holiday Baking Show fai led to impress.
But ITV are convinced the pair have the recipe for US success.
A source said: “ITV are a huge global brand.
“Show bosses know a joint deal with ITV could help them take that next leap into cracking the global market.”