Paul Hollywood 'over the moon' to be made MBE

The presenter has been a judge on the hit TV series The Great British Bake Off since it started in 2010

Celebrity baker and TV presenter Paul Hollywood has said being made MBE by The Princess Royal was a "proud" moment.

Hollywood was honoured for his services to baking and broadcasting at the ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

The 57-year-old has been a presenter on The Great British Bake Off since it started in 2010, first with Dame Mary Berry and then Dame Prue Leith.

He said he was "over the moon" and had promised Princess Anne some "Chelsea buns".

It is not the first time Paul Hollywood has met the Princess Royal

Hollywood said he had “always been fond" of the Princess Royal after initially meeting her a few years ago at Buckingham Palace.

"We were all with members of the royal family and I just happened to be there with Princess Anne. So to see her again was fantastic," he said.

“She did say ‘baking is so integral to the DNA of us all. We love the smell’. And I said ‘absolutely, I grew up with the smell’.

“I think she’s particularly fond of Chelsea buns. I promised her some, so I put myself on the spot there.”

'Very proud'

Bake Off made Hollywood a household name and he moved with the show when it switched from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2016.

The celebrity baker said being made an MBE had left him feeling “very proud”.

He said: “I was over the moon. When I (first found out) I told my mum and she was silent on the phone, which is quite unusual for my mum.

“I wish my nan had seen it. She was very fond of the Royal Family, as we all are.

“But specifically she would’ve been over the moon. But my mum was here today so she was loving it.”

Hollywood said he wished his nan was there to see him get the MBE

When asked if the Royal Family were fans of the show, Hollywood said they were "fully aware of (it), yes".

He confirmed Season 15 of The Great British Bake Off is "starting soon".

“It’s taken off as a global brand. We get these huge A-lister celebrities contacting me and coming onto the set," he added.

“We’re just gobsmacked. This little baking programme in a tent has created this huge stir."

Hollywood also confirmed that he was working on a new book which will be about “celebrating Christmas, Easter and festivals throughout the year”.