Paul Hollywood is so obsessed with sunbathing he strips off during Great British Bake Off filming, reveals Prue Leith

PAUL Hollywood’s obsession with tanning is causing chaos on the Great British Bake Off because he’s continually disappearing to sunbathe and returns to the set a different colour.

The 57-year-old judge even has a hammock outside the famous tent on the Channel 4 cookery show where he’ll strip to the waist to soak up some rays.

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Prue Leith revealed he often strips off while filming to work on his tan[/caption]

But fellow show expert Prue Leith, 83, says that causes crew problems because he gradually changes colour throughout filming.

Talking to US podcast Broad Ideas, she said: “The popular question I get about Paul, is the tan fake and does he really look that good?

“Yes he does and what’s more if he goes into the sun for 20 minutes he comes out of the sun two or three shades darker. Immediately.

“Paul and I have quite a lot of time off because these people have to bake so we don’t always have other things to do so Paul will take his shirt off and go and lie in a hammock and then come back 20 minutes later.

“Then the make-up people complain bitterly that he doesn’t look now like he did 20 minutes ago and continuity wont be right.”

Viewers of the show, currently airing every Tuesday on C4, have been constantly intrigued by Paul’s changing colour, with many suggesting it might be fake.

Some have even compared him to Ross Geller, the character from friends whose trip to a spray tan booth goes horribly wrong and he ends up with a mahogany-coloured face.

On social media people have also commented: “I’m no Paul Hollywood fan but it’s nice to see David Dickinson’s make up artist still getting work.”

On X, formerly Twitter, MrPaulRobinson (please leave in) commented: “Paul hollywood’s face is Tangerine Twist on the Dulux colour chart.”

But Paul has always insisted his tan is not fake and his changing colour is just the result of being in the hot Bake Off environement.

He said: “The make-up girls take the mickey because I am getting darker and darker ‘cause it’s getting warmer in the tent – it gives me a baker’s tan.”