Paul Hollywood Might Be Retiring An Iconic GBBO Tradition

"The Great British Bake Off" (known in the U.S. as "The Great British Baking Show") first aired in 2010, and since then, it has become an international hit (via IMDb). Many cooking competition show enthusiasts are already familiar with the now-iconic white tent located in the idyllic British countryside where the cast of bakers do their best to win a bouquet of flowers and a cake stand from judges Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood. No, there is no cash prize, but the winners of GBBO are basically considered "national treasures," per Heart. 

The winner of Season 12, Bristol-based engineer Giuseppe Dell'Anno, was crowned in 2021 (per BBC), and all that's left to do now is to wait for Season 13 of this wholesome, mostly drama-free baking competition. But what awaits in the new season? Baker, author, and GBBO judge Paul Hollywood must know more, and he warned the viewers that one iconic GBBO tradition might soon be retired. But, for now, it's there until it's scone gone.

My London reports that Paul Hollywood's signature handshake move could disappear in the new season. The judge says that the contestants were "very, very talented," and if he raises the bar any higher, he'll stop giving handshakes to the bakers that impress him. Now, let's remember that this is the man who made a simple gesture of shaking hands into a trademarked move — the GBBO bosses now have plans to print the famed handshake on products such as children's clothing and kitchen utensils (via the Daily Mail). 

But that's not all, as there is even a dedicated website that lists all of Hollywood's handshakes throughout the show along with the accompanying screenshots. The gesture is so entertaining that we've honored the 11 best Paul Hollywood handshake moments. Meanwhile, co-judge Dame Prue Leith is pitying the fact that it's not her who gives out handshakes to contestants (per Huffington Post).

There are also opposing views on the topic, and the folks over at Vulture think that the handshake move "is the absolute worst." The retirement of this GBBO tradition might be tough for some viewers to process, but love it or hate it, the iconic Hollywood handshake is associated with the show so closely that the Hollywood will probably never truly escape its grasp.