Bake Off musical cut Paul Hollywood flirting scene after it 'touched a nerve'

18 March 2023 , 19:06

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The musical was rewritten after Paul Hollywood got hot under the collar over his character flirting with a contestant (Image: Getty Images)

The stage musical based on The Great British Bake Off had to be rewritten after Paul Hollywood got hot under the collar over his character flirting with a contestant.

The show, in London’s West End, includes judges based on Paul and co-star Prue Leith.

But writers had to scrap scenes in which Paul’s character, Phil Hollinghurst, flirted with one of the fictional bakers.

An insider said: “It’s light-hearted fun and in that spirit, the original script included scenes in which Phil got close to a baker.

"But Paul didn’t see the funny side at all. He made it clear he wouldn’t give the project his backing if the scenes stayed.”

'So fed up of tiresome pal flirting with my husband and always putting me down'

Hollywood lookalike John Owen-Jones plays judge Phil Hollinghurst in the musical (PA)

Hollywood was criticised in 2015 for seeming to flirt with contestant Ruby Tandoh (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The flirting storyline, with Hollywood lookalike John Owen-Jones as Phil, was axed after an intervention by Love Productions, who created the TV show.

The insider added: “The rewrite came quite late so it was very inconvenient.

“It was a shame Paul didn’t see the funny side. Clearly, we touched a nerve.”

In 2013, Bake Off fans commented on Paul’s “chemistry” with contestant Ruby Tandoh, who went on to come out as gay. Four years later, he appeared to kiss 2016 winner Candice Brown at a London event. And in 2019 he swapped several flirty messages with Priya O’Shea before she was a contestant. Paul was approached for comment.

The Great British Bake Off Musical, by Pippa Cleary and Jake Brunger, will be at the Noel Coward Theatre until May.

Laura Armstrong