Paul Hollywood Wife Melissa Spalding: Inside Their Marriage, Cyprus Wedding and Quiet Life Together
Paul Hollywood has been one of the most familiar faces on British television for years, but his life away from the baking tent is considerably quieter. The Great British Bake Off judge is married to Melissa Spalding, a former pub landlady from Kent who has largely stayed outside the celebrity spotlight.
Hollywood and Spalding married in September 2023 after several years together. Their relationship first became public in 2019, although the pair had met through the Chequers Inn, the Kent pub run by Melissa and her family. Since their wedding, they have settled into a relatively private life in the countryside, making only occasional public appearances together.
Interest in Paul Hollywood’s wife has grown again as he continues his television career in 2026. Hollywood remains a judge on The Great British Bake Off, with Nigella Lawson joining him for the latest series following Prue Leith’s departure. Away from television, however, his marriage seems deliberately removed from the constant attention surrounding his career.
Who Is Paul Hollywood’s Wife Melissa Spalding?
Melissa Spalding is a British hospitality professional from Kent.
She grew up in the county and attended Headcorn Primary School before studying at Invicta Grammar School in Maidstone. Unlike her husband, Melissa did not build her career in television or entertainment.
Her professional background was instead rooted in hospitality.
Melissa became closely involved with the Chequers Inn in Smarden, Kent, a historic village pub operated by her family for many years. She began working as a landlady in 2007 and became heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the business.
That connection to the pub eventually brought Paul into her life.
While Melissa became more widely known because of their relationship, she has never appeared particularly interested in turning herself into a television personality. Public appearances remain relatively limited, and much of what is known about her comes from events she has attended with Hollywood or her involvement with the family business.
How Did Paul Hollywood and Melissa Spalding Meet?
Paul Hollywood and Melissa Spalding met at the Chequers Inn in the village of Smarden.
Hollywood was a customer at the pub, while Melissa worked there as landlady.
Their relationship became publicly known in December 2019 after Hollywood spent Christmas Day at the pub. His representative confirmed at the time that the pair were together and happy.
The timing came after a complicated period in Hollywood’s personal life.
He had previously been married to Alexandra Hollywood, whom he met while working in Cyprus. Paul and Alexandra married in 1998 and had one son together. Their relationship experienced difficulties before they eventually separated in 2017 and finalized their divorce in 2019.
Hollywood also had a relationship with Summer Monteys-Fullam, which ended in 2019.
His romance with Melissa began shortly afterward and developed much more quietly.
Rather than frequently discussing the relationship in interviews, Paul and Melissa mostly allowed occasional appearances to show that they were together.
When Did Paul and Melissa Make Their Relationship Public?
Although their romance had already been confirmed, the couple waited until December 2021 to make a major red carpet appearance together.
They attended the London premiere of The King’s Man, arriving together and posing for photographers.
It was an unusual moment for Melissa, who generally keeps a much lower profile than her husband.
Their relationship continued privately over the following years.
By then, Melissa and Paul were living together, and it became increasingly clear that their relationship had become serious.
Hollywood eventually proposed, although the couple did not turn their engagement into a heavily publicized celebrity event.
Their next major milestone came in 2023.
Paul Hollywood and Melissa Married in Cyprus
Paul Hollywood married Melissa Spalding on September 20, 2023.
They chose Cyprus for the ceremony, a country that already held considerable meaning for Hollywood. Earlier in his career, he had lived and worked there as a baker.
The wedding took place at the Ayia Athanasia chapel within the Anassa Hotel and was attended by around 75 family members and friends. The celebrations continued with a reception and an after-party at the hotel.
Among the guests was Prue Leith, Hollywood’s longtime Bake Off co-judge.
The Cyprus ceremony also created an interesting connection between two chapters of Hollywood’s personal life. He had first met his former wife Alexandra while living in Cyprus, and decades later returned to the island to marry Melissa.
Since their wedding, Melissa has sometimes been referred to publicly as Melissa Hollywood, although she remains widely known by her maiden name, Spalding.
Their Quiet Life in Kent
Marriage did not suddenly make Paul and Melissa more public.
Quite the opposite.
The couple settled into a quiet lifestyle at their farmhouse in rural Kent. Hollywood has openly admitted that he enjoys staying home rather than regularly attending parties or celebrity events.
He has described himself as becoming increasingly private over the years, preferring television, home comforts and an early night to the more glamorous social life people might expect from a well-known TV personality.
Their household also includes several pets.
Hollywood revealed that he and Melissa have four cats, including Maine Coons. He has spoken affectionately about his routine of feeding them and having them sit with him at home.
That domestic side of Hollywood is quite different from the stern Bake Off judge viewers see inspecting bread, cakes and pastries every week.
Melissa’s Family Pub Faced a Difficult Closure
Melissa’s connection to the Chequers Inn remained important even after she married Paul.
Her family had operated the centuries-old pub for around 16 years, investing significant time and money into the business.
By 2024, however, they decided it was no longer financially sustainable.
The family sought permission to convert the Grade II-listed property into a home after struggling to find a buyer willing to continue operating it as a pub. The proposal attracted opposition from some residents who believed the building should remain a community venue.
Melissa spoke publicly about how difficult the situation had become for her family, particularly her elderly father.
Hollywood strongly defended his wife during the dispute. He said the family had invested heavily in trying to keep the business running and argued that continuing to operate at a loss was unrealistic.
The episode offered one of the rare occasions when Melissa found herself at the center of a public story rather than simply appearing alongside her famous husband.
Paul and Melissa Still Make Occasional Public Appearances
Although they prefer privacy, Paul and Melissa have not disappeared completely from public life.
They have attended events together, including the Chelsea Flower Show and film premieres.
In April 2025, they appeared together at a special screening of Another Simple Favour in London, showing that Melissa remains comfortable accompanying Paul to selected events even if she does not seek publicity herself.
Their approach seems fairly simple.
Paul continues to handle the highly public side of their lives through television, books and baking events, while Melissa generally keeps her everyday life much more private.
That arrangement appears to suit them.
Paul Hollywood’s Career Remains Busy in 2026
Hollywood’s home life may be quiet, but his professional schedule remains active.
In September 2026, another season of The Great British Bake Off began with Hollywood returning as judge.
This season marks a notable change because Nigella Lawson has joined the judging panel following Prue Leith’s departure.
Hollywood has said that he and Lawson quickly developed an easy working chemistry, while longtime hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond remain part of the program.
Hollywood has now been associated with Bake Off since its beginning in 2010, making him the longest-running member of the current judging and presenting lineup.
Despite that level of public recognition, his marriage has remained largely separate from his television work.
Melissa rarely becomes part of his shows or promotional interviews, and Hollywood appears comfortable keeping those two sides of his life apart.
Paul Hollywood Was Previously Married to Alexandra Hollywood
Melissa is Hollywood’s second wife.
He married Alexandra Hollywood in 1998 after meeting her in Cyprus. They had a son, Josh, during their marriage.
The relationship went through a difficult period in 2013 before the couple reconciled. They eventually separated again in November 2017 and later divorced in 2019.
Hollywood’s private life attracted considerable tabloid attention during that period, which may partly explain why his relationship with Melissa has been handled so differently.
There has been much less public discussion of their everyday marriage.
Instead, the couple seem happy to appear together when they choose and retreat back to their countryside home afterward.
Melissa Spalding Prefers Life Outside the Spotlight
For people searching for Paul Hollywood’s wife, Melissa Spalding is very different from the television personality she married.
Her background is in hospitality rather than broadcasting, and she spent years helping to run her family’s Kent pub before becoming widely known through her relationship with Hollywood.
They met through that pub, went public as a couple in 2019, made their red carpet debut in 2021 and married in Cyprus in September 2023.
As of September 2026, they remain married.
Paul continues traveling for television work and judging some of Britain’s most ambitious amateur bakers, while Melissa has maintained the more private life she appeared to prefer before meeting him.
Their marriage may occasionally place her on a red carpet, but most of the time, the couple seem happiest far from one, living quietly in Kent with their cats and keeping much of their relationship to themselves.
