Alexandra Hollywood, better known as Alex Hollywood, is a British food writer, cookbook author, home cook, and television personality. Many people first knew her as the wife of Paul Hollywood, the baker and long serving judge on The Great British Bake Off. Yet Alex had her own connection with food and hospitality long before her former husband became a television star.

Her work has included public relations, recipe writing, television cooking, food events, and cookbook publishing. She has written two cookbooks, My Busy Kitchen and Cooking Tonight. Her food style is simple and built around meals that families can make at home.

Her marriage became a major part of British entertainment news during the 2010s. Alex and Paul separated, reconciled, and later ended their marriage after almost two decades. Since then, she has continued to develop her own career while keeping much of her family life private.

Alexandra Hollywood Quick Bio

Who Is Alexandra Hollywood?

Alexandra Hollywood is a British food writer and cookbook author who has spent much of her working life around food. She often uses the shorter name Alex in her professional work. Her publisher describes her as a passionate home cook who believes food should bring enjoyment rather than stress.

Her public profile grew as Paul Hollywood became famous through The Great British Bake Off. However, Alex was already involved in cooking, hospitality, marketing, and food promotion. She later used that experience to build a career based on recipes and practical family meals.

Alex does not present herself as a restaurant chef who focuses on complex dishes. Her work is closer to everyday home cooking. She uses common ingredients and tries to make meals easier for people with busy family lives.

That approach has helped her build a separate identity in British food media. She has appeared on television, written recipes, published books, and taken part in food festivals around the country. Her professional work continues years after the end of her marriage.

Alexandra Hollywood’s Early Life and Family Background

Alex grew up in Kent in a family where food played a large role. She has described her childhood home as busy and welcoming. Family meals, visitors, and different European food traditions were part of everyday life.

Her family background helped shape her cooking. She has spoken about French, Spanish, Scandinavian, and Norwegian influences. Summers with her French godmother and family trips to Spain introduced her to different ingredients and styles of cooking at an early age.

Alex attended an all girls convent school before going to college and secretarial school. Her mother hoped her language skills might lead to work as a translator. Alex chose a different path and eventually moved into public relations in London.

Travel also became an important part of her young adult life. She spent time in France and worked in catered chalets. She later entered the hotel and catering industry. Those jobs gave her practical experience with food, guests, service, and hospitality.

Her Work Before Becoming a Cookbook Author

Long before Alexandra Hollywood published a book, she worked across several industries. She spent part of her early career in public relations. She also worked abroad and developed experience in tourism and hospitality.

Alex spent time working in the French Alps, where food was part of her daily work. During other periods, she worked as a scuba diving instructor. Her varied jobs allowed her to travel and learn about regional food while earning a living outside Britain.

She later moved to Cyprus. ITV reports that she first worked there as a scuba diving instructor and then moved into public relations for the Annabelle Hotel. This period became important for both her career and her personal life.

Alex was comfortable working behind the scenes. Her knowledge of public relations later helped with food businesses, press material, promotion, and media contacts. Those skills also played a part when Paul Hollywood began trying to build a television career.

How Did Alexandra Hollywood Meet Paul Hollywood?

Alex met Paul Hollywood while the pair were living and working in Cyprus. Paul was working as a baker at a luxury hotel. Alex was involved in the hospitality industry and public relations. The couple developed a relationship while living on the island.

They married in 1998. Cyprus remained an important place in their story because it was where much of their early relationship developed. At that point, Paul was still working mainly within professional baking rather than as a national television figure.

Alex has said she was working in restaurant PR when a television crew came to Cyprus to make a food programme. When the crew wanted a baker, she suggested Paul. She later recalled that this helped open some of his first doors in television.

The couple eventually returned to Britain. They worked on food businesses together while raising their young family. These years came before The Great British Bake Off turned Paul into one of Britain’s best known television bakers.

Marriage to Paul Hollywood and Their Son

Alex and Paul were married for almost two decades. They also became parents to a son named Joshua Hollywood, often called Josh. Both parents have spoken at different times about trying to protect their son from media attention surrounding their relationship.

After returning to Britain, the couple set up a bakery and delicatessen. Alex worked on promotion, press releases, food articles, and sales. She has recalled taking products to London food halls, retailers, and farm shops while caring for their baby son.

Paul’s career changed sharply when The Great British Bake Off began in 2010. His role as a judge alongside Mary Berry made him a household name. The sudden level of attention also brought public interest into the family’s private life.

Alex remained involved with food while Paul became more visible on television. She has said she was always the main home cook, even though her husband was known professionally as a baker. Over time, she began putting more energy into her own recipes and writing.

The 2013 Separation and Reconciliation

The Hollywood marriage faced a major crisis in 2013. Paul admitted that he had an affair with Marcela Valladolid, his fellow judge on The American Baking Competition. Alex and Paul separated during that period.

Paul later publicly described the affair as a major mistake. The former couple then worked on rebuilding their marriage. By early 2014, they had reconciled and appeared together during an ITV cooking segment.

Alex later explained that she did not regret giving the marriage another chance. She said she believed in the relationship and wanted to make it work. Their son was also an important part of the decision.

The reconciliation lasted several years. During that time, Alex’s own career was growing. She began appearing more often in food media and was preparing to become a published cookbook author.

Alexandra Hollywood’s Cookbooks and Food Career

Alex’s first major cookbook was My Busy Kitchen: A Lifetime of Family Recipes. It was released by Hodder & Stoughton in February 2015. The book focused on simple meals shaped by family traditions, travel, and practical home cooking.

The recipes reflected her European family influences. Alex drew inspiration from France, Spain, Scandinavia, Cyprus, and British home cooking. She divided much of her food into meals that could be prepared quickly and dishes suited to slower weekends.

Her second book, Cooking Tonight, followed in 2017. It was designed around the common question of what to make for dinner. The recipes used familiar ingredients and included soups, chicken, beef, fish, pasta, vegetarian meals, and desserts.

Alex also appeared on ITV’s Lorraine and developed recipes for publications and television. ITV described her as a home cook with a no fuss style and noted her experience in marketing and PR.

Why Did Alexandra and Paul Hollywood Divorce?

Alex and Paul announced another separation in November 2017. This time the relationship did not recover. Their marriage had lasted about 19 years by the time they separated.

Court proceedings later showed that Alex filed for divorce on the ground of adultery. In July 2019, District Judge Robert Duddridge granted a decree nisi at the Central Family Court in London. The judge found that the marriage had broken down irretrievably.

The financial side of the separation was handled separately. Later in 2019, lawyers told the court that the former couple had chosen private arbitration to deal with their financial differences.

Alex has spoken about how difficult divorce can be after such a long marriage. At the same time, she made clear that she did not want the separation to become the main story of her life. She returned her attention to food writing, television work, family, and her future.

Why Did Alex Hollywood Keep Paul Hollywood’s Surname?

One question that followed the divorce concerned Alex’s surname. She decided to continue using Hollywood rather than return to another family name.

She explained her choice during an appearance on Loose Women in 2019. Alex said she had used the surname for almost 20 years and had grown into it. She also wrote and worked professionally under the name.

Her son was another important reason. Josh carries the Hollywood surname, and Alex said she did not want divorce to separate that connection between mother and son.

As a result, she continues to be known professionally as Alex Hollywood. The name is now linked not only with her former marriage but also with her own books, television appearances, recipes, and food events.

Alexandra Hollywood’s Life and Career Today

Alex has remained active in the food world. She continues to describe herself as a passionate home cook and family food writer. Her recipes focus on simple ingredients and meals that people can make without advanced cooking skills.

Her own website has continued to publish recipes, including dishes such as lamb, chicken pie, salmon, cheesecake, and desserts. Her approach remains close to the style found in her two books.

She has also continued appearing at food festivals and live demonstrations. Current event listings for 2026 include Alex as a food personality with cooking appearances and festival work. Her biography for Historic Royal Palaces describes her as a home cook and family food writer with two cookbooks and an established social media following.

Alex still has strong links with Kent. Food festival biographies describe her as living in the Kent countryside and cooking with produce from her garden. Her professional identity today is built around practical cooking, family food, writing, and live demonstrations.

Alexandra Hollywood Beyond Paul Hollywood’s Ex Wife

The phrase Paul Hollywood’s ex wife remains one of the main reasons people search for Alex online. Their long marriage and public divorce naturally created wide interest. Still, focusing only on that relationship leaves out much of her professional story.

Her work in food began before Paul became famous. She worked in hospitality, public relations, food businesses, recipe development, and promotion. She later turned those skills into books and a public career of her own.

Her cooking also has a clear style. It is based on accessible family food rather than restaurant presentation. She often uses memories, travel, European influences, and familiar ingredients to create meals that feel realistic for home cooks.

That independent career has continued well after her divorce. In 2026, Alex remains connected with food festivals, recipes, television work, and public cooking appearances. Her life today is therefore about much more than her former marriage.

Final Thoughts

Alexandra Hollywood became widely known because of her marriage to Paul Hollywood, but food has been part of her story for most of her life. Her background includes travel, hospitality, public relations, recipe development, television, and cookbook writing.

She and Paul built a family and worked together before his rise on The Great British Bake Off. Their marriage later faced public problems and ended after nearly two decades. Alex chose to keep the Hollywood surname, both because it had become her professional identity and because she shares it with her son.

Today, her own work gives a fuller picture of who she is. She remains a British food writer and home cook who promotes simple family meals. Her books, live demonstrations, online recipes, and television appearances have allowed her to maintain an identity that exists apart from her former husband.

FAQs About Alexandra Hollywood

Who is Alexandra Hollywood?

Alexandra Hollywood, also called Alex Hollywood, is a British food writer, cookbook author, recipe developer, and television cook. She is also widely known as the former wife of Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood.

When did Alexandra Hollywood marry Paul Hollywood?

Alex and Paul married in 1998 after meeting while working in Cyprus. Their marriage lasted for almost 20 years before they separated permanently in 2017.

Does Alexandra Hollywood have children?

Yes. Alex and Paul Hollywood have one son named Joshua Hollywood, also known as Josh. Alex has often spoken about protecting her son’s privacy and has said that being his mother influenced her decision to keep the Hollywood surname.

What books has Alex Hollywood written?

She has published two main cookbooks. My Busy Kitchen: A Lifetime of Family Recipes came out in 2015, while Cooking Tonight followed in 2017. Both books focus on simple and practical home cooking.

What does Alexandra Hollywood do now?

Alex continues to work as a food writer, home cook, recipe creator, and live cooking personality. She remains involved with British food festivals and is listed for food events during 2026.