Paul Hollywood signs three year deal to stay on The Great British Bake Off - but Mary's off

Paul Hollywood has confirmed he is moving with The Great British Bake Off when the show switches to Channel 4 next year.

Paul's fellow judge Mary Berry and presenting duo Mel and Sue
have quit the show, staying loyal to the BBC. But Paul is
moving with the programme, announcing the news in a statement that read:

'Since I was a kid, baking has been part of my life. The seven series
inside the tent have created some great memories. Best of all, I have
felt so pleased to experience other people getting the baking bug, just
as I did when my dad helped me make my first loaf.

'The Great
British Bake Off has brought baking to the nation and we've seen people
from all walks of life and backgrounds, experience the highs and lows of
competition, and more importantly helping each other.

"It's been
a huge part of my life in the past few years and I just couldn't turn
my back on all that - the bakers themselves, the bakes, the team that
makes it, and of course the tent, the bunting, and who could forget...the
squirrels.

'So I am delighted that I will be continuing as a
judge when Bake Off moves to Channel 4. I want to thank the BBC and Mel
and Sue for making my time in the tent great fun and really rewarding.'

He then followed his statement with a personal message on Twitter, thanking Mary: 'I'm staying in the tent with the bakers where I belong. I want to thank Mary. I'll miss her but she has made the right decision for her.'

The plot thickens, Bake Off fans!

Don't miss our house tours of Mary Berry's family home and Paul Hollywood's Kent pad.