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Paul Hollywood hit with speeding fine after 100mph dash to vet with sick cat

Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood was clocked at nearly 100mph on the M25 while rushing his sick cat to the vet, later accepting a speeding penalty in court

[Paul rushed to the vets ]

Paul rushed to the vets (Image: paul.hollywood/Instagram)

Paul Hollywood has been hit with a driving penalty after a high-speed motorway journey that ended with him being pulled over by police while rushing his pet to receive urgent veterinary care.

The Great British Bake Off judge, 60, was recorded travelling at nearly 100mph on the M25 during what authorities described as a fast and aggressive drive through traffic. Court documents revealed the stars Land Rover Defender was clocked at 96mph, though officers believe his speed at points may have exceeded 105mph during the incident.

The case centred around a journey on January 9 at around 3.20pm, when PC Alexander McAlpine of Surrey Police began following Hollywood in an unmarked vehicle. The officer later reported concerns over his driving behaviour, stating the chef appeared to be bullying other motorists on the motorway.

[Paul is a judge on GBBO]

Paul is a judge on GBBO(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

According to evidence presented in court, the driver was seen repeatedly closing in on vehicles ahead at very short distances before accelerating sharply once they moved aside. PC McAlpine described instances of tailgating at speeds of around 80mph where the gap between vehicles dropped to just a few metres.

He said: Whenever there was a vehicle ahead, the driver would close up to a follow distance of less than five metres Once a vehicle moved out of the way the driver would then heavily accelerate and travel well in excess of the limit.

The officer also noted that at one stage he matched the vehicles speed and observed a peak of around 105mph, with sustained speeds remaining above 90mph for a significant period.

Hollywood was eventually stopped and questioned over both speeding and allegations of unsafe driving.

[He was slapped with a speeding fine]

He was slapped with a speeding fine(Image: BBC/North One Television Limited/Nathaniel Bullen)

During the stop, he explained to officers that his urgent journey was due to transporting an unwell cat to the vet for treatment.

His legal team confirmed the circumstances in court, with solicitor Peter Csemiczky stating: Mr Hollywood accepts he was driving too fast. He was rushing home to get his unwell cat to the vet. He understands this is no excuse and apologises for his actions. He understands and accepts that he will be punished.

Hollywood later pleaded guilty to speeding at Worthing Magistrates Court, where he was handed five penalty points on his licence, along with a 293 fine, 120 in costs and a 117 victim surcharge. A second charge of driving without due care and attention was dropped.

The TV chef has previously admitted to having a lead foot, once joking on television that fellow judge Mary Berry had even hit him with her handbag over his driving speed.

He has also competed in professional motorsport events in the past, further highlighting his long-standing enthusiasm for fast driving.

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