Paul Hollywood’s handshake trademarked by Great British Bake Off bosses

GETTING a Hollywood Handshake on The Great British Bake Off is the glittering prize contestants covet – second only to winning the show, of course.

It’s also about to be a golden egg for creators of the Channel 4 favourite because they have now trademarked the term with a view to slapping it on a long line of merchandise.

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Judge Paul Hollywood’s gesture of congratulation could end up on everything from kitchen implements to children’s toys and clothing.

A TV insider said: “This isn’t just a reflection of the ongoing popularity of Paul but the continual success story that is the Bake Off.

“It launched in 2010 but 12 years later, it’s still going strong and the creators, Love Productions, are still growing the brand.

This is just another ingenious offshoot which is sure to go down well with fans of the show and among the army of Paul’s fans.”

Love Productions has made a string of spin-off shows ranging from celebrity specials to a programme dedicated to younger bakers.

And that’s on top of the other TV favourites that have been inspired by the contest, including The Great ­British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throw Down.

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But this is one of their most intriguing side ventures yet, with the new trademark allowing them to use the Hollywood Handshake on hundreds of products.

The list is huge and includes food processors, kitchen knives, computer games, underwear, skateboards, even kitchen rolls.

It even includes the perfect object for a handshake — oven gloves.

They will be trademarking “soggy bottom” and bringing out a range of toilet rolls next.

Fred: my hate for league

MOST celebrities would kill for a gig like A League Of Their Own – but Freddie Flintoff has confessed it was far from perfect for him.

The presenter and former cricketer turned down the role on Sky a number of times.

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Freddie said: “I immediately said I didn’t fancy it, even though the money was all right. At the time I was injured, all I was interested in was getting back to playing again.

“So former Twenty20 international captain Stuart Broad filmed the pilot, which I watched. No disrespect to Stuart, but I knew straight away I could deliver better than he did.”

But that wasn’t the end of Freddie’s negativity towards the show he has been on since 2010.

He added: “I got on there and I absolutely hated it, I really did. I was sat there ten days in and it was an effort just to get through it.

“I hated the first four or five series. I was honestly going to walk, it just wasn’t right for me. But I love doing the show now.”

Good job really, as he’ll be back with Jamie Redknapp and Romesh Ranganathan for a 17th series this year.

Martin’s nous on Scouse

MARTIN Freeman is a huge star with massive roles on his CV, but he’s never had to nail a Scouse accent – until now.

The Office and Sherlock actor plays Liverpudlian copper Chris in new BBC thriller The Responder.

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He said: “I haven’t played a character with a Scouse accent before and I was incredibly mindful of that when I was reading the script.

“I knew that if I couldn’t do it properly then I wouldn’t do the accent. I would just have done my own version of my own voice.

“I was really pleased when I heard that some of the Scouse actors asked if I was from Merseyside – it was like I’d passed some sort of test.

“I worked really hard at it because there was no way I was prepared to go on telly doing a terrible Scouse accent in Liverpool with a load of Liverpudlian actors.

“There’s just no way. I’d get taken to the cleaners and rightly so.”

Good on you, Martin.

No limits to pair’s kindness

THE winners of a £500,000 mega-prize on Ant & Dec’s new gameshow will give a chunk of the cash away to good causes.

Medics Kathryn and Will scooped the money during Limitless Win on Saturday.

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Yesterday on Lorraine, intensive care doctor Will said: “We’ve always given away ten per cent of our salary to charity, so this isn’t going to be any different.

“We’re going to give away at least £50,000 to charities close to our hearts – mental health charities, leukaemia research charities.”

Katie ok with Jo acid gag

WHEN Jo Brand made a gag about throwing battery acid at politician Nige Farage, everyone expected Katie Piper to pile in on the comic.

But the model and presenter, who suffered an acid attack in 2008, told the Spinning Plates podcast: “People misinterpreted it and were like, ‘Poor Katie Piper, how do you think she feels about your joke?’.

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“I love her comedy.

“She’s super-smart and what she was saying was in the comedy circuit in the context of a joke and it was in no way reflective of how she feels about disability or disfigurement.

“I never commented on it and I don’t feel any which way about it at all and I’m not joining this witch hunt.”