BAKE Off star Paul Hollywood was caught speeding at almost 100mph on the motorway – because he was rushing his sick cat to the vet.
The TV chef, 60, was accused of tailgating cars on the M25 to “bully” them out of the fast lane during his emergency dash.
Paul Hollywood was caught speeding at 100mph Credit: Rex Features
He was rushing his sick cat (not known if one pictured) to the vet
Land Rover Defender was officially clocked at 96mph, but he is believed to have reached speeds of more than 105mph.
When he was pulled over by cops, the Bake Off judge blamed his on a desire to get his unwell cat to the vet for treatment.
Hollywood pleaded guilty to speeding and was handed five penalty points on his licence.
He was also ordered to pay a £293 fine, £120 in costs, and a £117 victim surcharge at Worthing Magistrates’ .
Hollywood was allegedly bullying other road users Credit: Simon Jones – News Group Newspapers
The Bake Off judge pleaded guilty to speeding Credit: PA
After an intervention from his lawyers at Hickman and Rose, a second charge of driving without due care and attention was dropped by .
Peter Csemiczky, a partner at the leading firm, said: “Mr Hollywood accepts he was driving too fast.
“He was rushing home to get his unwell cat to the vet.
“[Hollywood] understands this is no excuse and apologises for his actions.
Hollywood is motoring enthusiast who has competed in professional races Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
He reached speeds of around 100mph on the M25 Credit: Channel 4
“He understands and accepts that he will be punished.”
Court papers show Hollywood’s car was spotted speeding on the motorway at around 3.20pm on January 9.
PC Alexander McAlpine, from Surrey Police, trailed Hollywood in an unmarked police car and said he saw the star’s vehicle “repeatedly ‘bully’ other vehicles out of its way, through use of unsafe tailgating”.
The officer added: “Whenever there was a vehicle ahead, the driver would close up to a follow distance of less than five metres which was wholly inappropriate for the conditions and speed.
“Once a vehicle moved out of the way having been tailgated until they did so, the driver would then heavily accelerate and travel well in excess of the limit until they reached the next vehicle ahead on the road, at which point they would repeat the process, to try and ‘push’ any traffic that was in front of them out of the lane, even if they were legitimately overtaking traffic travelling slower in lane three.”
The court heard Hollywood reached speeds of around 100mph on the M25 despite being in heavy traffic and the road being damp.
After joining the less-busy M26, he was “able to achieve higher speeds more consistently”.
PC McAlpine said: “They continued their behaviour of closing up to any vehicles ahead in their lane of travel, and then following them at an aggressively short distance, on one occasion roughly a mere two metres whilst travelling at approximately 80mph, until they moved out of the way.”
The officer said he matched Hollywood’s speed, clocking him at a “peak” of around 105mph, with a “general road speed remained above 90mph for an extended period of time”.
Hollywood was pulled over and challenged for speeding and “aggressively tailgating other road users”.
The officer added in his statement: “The driver stated that the reason for their urgency and driving behaviour was transporting an unwell cat.”
Hollywood, a judge on Bake Off since its inception in 2010, is also a motoring enthusiast who has competed in professional races for Aston Martin.
In 2022, he confessed on TV that he had been admonished by fellow Bake Off judge for driving too fast.
He called speeding his “most unappealing habit”, saying: “I probably drive a little bit too quick. It scares a few people.
“I took Mary in a car once and she was hitting me with her handbag.”
Court papers show Hollywood had no penalty points on his licence when he was pulled over by the police officer in January.
He pleaded guilty in writing to the speeding charge and was convicted and sentenced in a private hearing of the Single Justice Procedure without having to attend court.
Hollywood entered a not guilty plea to the charge of driving without due care and attention, and the allegation was withdrawn by the police force.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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