A Hollywood handshake can bring even the most composed baker to tears. But the now-famous Great British Baking Show tradition started much more casually.
There are few things on The Great British Baking Show quite as entertaining as watching Paul Hollywood approach a contestant’s station, take a bite of something and stare at the baker in complete silence. Is he impressed? Disappointed? About to deliver a devastating critique of someone’s slightly underproofed brioche? The man knows how to make a person sweat.
And then, occasionally, he extends his hand.
The “Hollywood handshake” has become one of the show’s most coveted honors, capable of reducing an otherwise perfectly composed adult to tears. It’s also an extraordinary amount of ceremony for a gesture most of us do without expecting a round of applause.
A new season of The Great British Baking Show (called The Great British Bake Off, or GBBO, in the U.K.) is about to start, and there’s plenty to look forward to. Nigella Lawson is joining the judging panel, bringing an entirely different energy to the tent, and we’ll soon be watching another group of talented home bakers make their way through signature bakes, nerve-racking technical challenges and impressively intricate showstoppers. And of course, there’s the possibility of a Hollywood handshake, complete with all the suspense, drama and reverence we’ve come to expect from the King of Bread himself.
But according to Paul Hollywood, the handshake was never supposed to become such a big deal.
What does a Hollywood handshake on The Great British Baking Show actually mean?
A Hollywood handshake is Paul’s way of recognizing a truly exceptional bake. It’s an unofficial honor, awarded entirely at his discretion when a baker produces something that impresses him enough to warrant more than a few words of praise. The gesture itself is simple enough, although the distinction between a perfectly respectable bake and one worthy of a handshake is considerably more complicated.
In a 2022 interview with TVLine, Paul explained that he judges a bake partly by deciding if it’s something he’d be willing to sell in a shop under his own name. It needs to be distinctive, technically accomplished and, ideally, perfect. It’s a demanding standard, particularly when you consider that the person being judged has just spent several hours baking in a tent, often under conditions that would make a professional pastry chef reconsider their career.
The gesture has inspired some wonderful television. Contestants cried, gasped, and occasionally forgot how to behave altogether. In 2019, baker Henry Bird was so stunned by his handshake that he told Paul to shut up, prompting laughter from the entire tent. Paul, thankfully, took it well.
And while a handshake is a tremendous compliment, it isn’t a guarantee of winning Star Baker or even surviving the week. It’s simply recognition of an outstanding bake, although the reactions suggest that, for some contestants, it might be more exciting than winning the show altogether.
How did the Hollywood handshake start?
For all the anticipation surrounding it today, the Hollywood handshake began without much fanfare. In that same TVLine interview, Paul recalled first shaking a contestant’s hand during the show’s second season simply to congratulate them on a job well done. He hadn’t intended to start a tradition and was apparently just as surprised as anyone when the gesture took on a life of its own.
Paul told TVLine that strangers around the world now approach him hoping for a handshake, an experience he describes, understandably, as weird. I suppose there are worse things to be famous for, but having people constantly request your approval on the street would undoubtedly get tiresome.
Since that first handshake, there have been dozens more. Paul also introduced the lesser honor of a “Paul pat” for bakes that come close to meeting his standards. Personally, I think I’d rather hear what was wrong with my Black Forest gateau than receive a consolation pat.
But really, there’s something lovely about watching a talented home baker receive a coveted recognition. These contestants spend hours agonizing over every detail, and you can see exactly how much it means when Paul reaches across the bench. The handshake may have taken on a slightly ridiculous life of its own, but watching someone earn one is still one of my favorite parts of the show.
