Paul Hollywood has become somewhat of a cultural icon in recent years.

And with his steely blue stare, his coveted handshake, and his dislike of soggy bottoms, it's not difficult to see why. When Sue, Mel, and Mary all decided to leave the Bake Off tent when the much-loved show shifted to Channel 4, he was the only one who stayed. We like to think it's because he just loves the Bake Off so much that he could never bear to leave that tent, but realistically, there were probably other (monetary-related) factors involved in his decision to stay. Either way, we're glad he did. Hollywood has become somewhat of a household name due to his prominence on our screens every week, so it'll come as no surprise to anyone to know that when he was seen apparently kissing 2016 Bake Off winner Candice Brown, people were very surprised indeed. The Sun reported that the two were spotted "getting cosy" at the after-party for the Pride of Britain Awards last week. They obtained photos that appear to show the two kissing outside of a hotel. https://twitter.com/ScottishSun/status/927100675368120320 Hollywood has been married to wife Alexandra since the late 1990s. Similarly, Brown announced her engagement to partner Liam Macaulay not long ago. A representative for GBBO has called the photos "defamatory of both Paul and Candice" and said that they depict the Bake Off judge saying goodbye to a group of people after the ceremony. Speaking to OK! magazine, they said:

"Following The Mirror Pride of Britain Awards last Monday, seven of us including Paul and Candice were seated outside waiting for cars home. The photograph is of Paul saying goodbye to each of us. "The story this morning suggesting more is untrue and defamatory of both Paul and Candice who are in separate relationships."

Hollywood is set to present a new show on Channel 4 later this year called A Baker's Life.