Paul Hollywood, known for his neatly cropped silver-grey hair and trimmed beard on The Great British Bake Off, has revealed a very different look from his teenage years. In a post on the show's official Instagram page, the 60-year-old shared a photograph of himself with long dark hair cascading to his shoulders, discussing how he entered the baking profession.
From Art School to the Bakery
Hollywood explained that after a year or two studying sculpture at art school, his father invited him to join the industry. He recalled the conversation: "I saw my dad, and he said, 'Do you want to come and join the industry?' I went, 'Well, how much am I going to earn?' and he told me at the time a good figure: 70 quid a week or something in cash."
The judge noted that his father then told him he would need to cut his hair because he would be working in a kitchen. He said: "I literally went from hair down to my chest to shaved, grade one, overnight. I changed my look totally, but that was it. I was a baker."
Early Career and Income
Hollywood revealed that entering the industry transformed his life. He had originally pursued his mother's path as an artist before joining his father's bakery at an early age. He started earning money at 17 years old and was able to purchase his own possessions.
He described his early working hours: "I enjoyed it; I actually didn't mind going to work. Early in the morning, I'm talking at 1, 2 o'clock in the morning. On a Friday it'd be 11 o'clock at night. So all my mates were out, and I was going to work."
Fan Reactions and Hair Journey
Viewers responded positively to Hollywood's account, with comments including "This is an amazing story," "I love the way Paul tells a story - we need more Paul story time!" and "Thanks, Paul, for sharing your story with us! You're an inspiration!"
Hollywood has previously spoken about his distinctive hair on the Fuelling Around podcast, saying: "I go to the hairdressers because they've got to basically whiten the rest of my hair. Years ago, I was very pepper. Then I was salt and pepper. And now I'm just salt." The Great British Bake Off continues Tuesdays on Channel 4 from 8pm.
