Channel 4 Great British Bake Off's Paul Hollywood on change which has led to 'more handshakes'

Inflation is taking its toll on everyone, and it appears that even the Great British Bake Off is feeling the pinch. Judge Paul Hollywood has expressed concerns not just about the rising cost of ingredients, but also about the ever-increasing standards of baking.

"The standard has got better, and based on that alone, that's why you'll probably find more handshakes," he told Netflix's Tudum.

The Cheshire-born celebrity baker has observed a year-on-year improvement among contestants, prompting him to give out more of his coveted handshakes, which he admits can be slightly annoying as it constantly pushes expectations higher.

To counter this, Hollywood has introduced a new accolade – the "Paul Pat" – for bakers who fall just short of earning a handshake. This alternative commendation was given for the first time during Bread Week this year to Carmarthenshire's Georgie for her Chelsea buns.

Reflecting on the decision, Paul remarked: "When I saw Dylan's, then that was the benchmark that I was looking for. She was close. I knew, I glanced across, and I did see Dylan's coming, and I was like, 'Oh God, no, this is close but no biscuit.'", reports Wales Online.

Paul also cherishes memorable bakes from past seasons, such as Ryan's key lime pie from Season 3, alongside Dylan's standout gochujang buns from the current series.

He also took a trip down memory lane to the moment in Bake Off's eighth season when Hermine's salmon quiche took his breath away: "I was really hungry, and I tried it and went, 'Oh wow, I've got to have it. No one touch that. That's my lunch.' "

Interestingly, there were no Hollywood Handshakes during the first two seasons of the show; the initial one appeared in episode seven of the third series, with Ryan Chong being the lucky recipient. There was just a single handshake in Season Four, followed by two in Season Five, before numbers started to climb.

Season Six saw three handshakes, four in Season Seven, and then an increase after the transfer to Channel 4. Season Eight witnessed seven Hollywood Handshakes, and an astonishing 12 in the subsequent season.

As for where it all leads, only Paul Hollywood can predict.