On your bike, Paul!
Lover, 24, dumped him after he asked her to agree gagging contract... now Bake Off ’s Hollywood, 53, demands that his ex-wife signs one too
PAUL Hollywood is battling both the women in his life over his demand that t hey should stay silent about t heir relationship with him, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The Great British Bake Off star’s insistence that girlfriend Summer MonteysFullam should sign a non- disclosure agreement proved to be the last straw before she ditched him just days ago.
Now The Mail on Sunday has learned that Hollywood is also demanding that his ex- wife Alexandra should submit to a gagging order as part of their divorce settlement.
A source close to 53year-old Paul and Alexandra said he is determined to ensure that she remains silent once their decree absolute is finalised in the next two months.
He wants her to agree not to speak about their relationship before or after their split, as he continues to resist handing over half of his estimated £10 million fortune.
On Wednesday night, Summer, 24, stormed out of the £1.2 million home in Kent that she shared with Hollywood, bringing an end to their 20-month relationship.
Yesterday, as the breakup with Summer became public, Hollywood was seen riding his motorbike close to the farmhouse he had bought with Summer in February.
Dressed in jeans and brown boots, he attempted to go incognito, with the dark visor of his helmet covering his face.
The Mail on Sunday also understands that on Friday night, two days after Summer moved her belongings – including her dogs – out of the couple’s home, Hollywood drowned his sorrows in The Bell pub where the former barmaid worked.
Onlookers claimed Hollywood became furious after seeing the story break online, leaving him in no doubt that the romance is over for good.
Summer had told him their relationship was over on Wednesday evening. But despite her beginning to move her belongings into her mother Sabina’s house in nearby Ickham, Hollywood still hoped that the couple would rekindle their romance.
He was shocked to learn that the news of their split had been leaked. It is now understood that he suspects someone close to Summer sold the story to a newspaper – and he is determined to discover the identity of the mole.
One friend said: ‘Paul thought he had control of the situation but he lost it. He feels like Summer turned him over.’
In May, the couple celebrated her 24th birthday with a day at Chester races. Alexandra is currently on holiday abroad with friends following her decree nisi being granted two weeks ago by a judge at the Central Family Court in London. District judge Robert Duddridge ruled that Alexandra found it ‘intolerable’ to live with Hollywood and accepted the chef was guilty of adultery and unreasonable behaviour. She is now preparing to fight for half of Hollywood’s fortune but he is insisting she signs a gagging order. One friend of the couple said last night: ‘This is not straightforward at all. Alex is away at the moment and is trying to move on from all of this.
‘She is trying not to think about it – she just wants to get on with the divorce and continue to move forward but there are some demands, like her agreeing not to tell all about him.’
Yesterday, Hollywood’s solicitor Tom Amlot confirmed the star and Summer split because she refused to sign the non-disclosure agreement, citing the baker’s bid to keep his family live private.
The lawyer said: ‘I asked Summer to sign an NDA as is standard practice in order to protect Paul’s family and their private lives.
‘Summer insisted that she had no intention of selling any stories to the press and declined.
‘I think that her refusal to discuss or sign it caused concern, understandably, so it’s not entirely surprising that they have gone their separate ways.’
Yesterday, Summer’s mother Sabina and her stepfather Richard said they did not want to comment when asked about their daughter’s relationship.