Bake Off star Paul Hollywood made a high-speed helicopter dash to help his brother after he was attacked while walking his dog.
The silver-haired TV star, 59, jumped into his £400k Robinson R44 chopper and took off from his home in Ashford, Kent to fly the 250 miles to his younger brother Lee’s hospital bedside in Wirral, Merseyside.
But he was joined by his flight instructor as he doesn’t yet have his full licence to go it alone.
A pal of Paul’s told the Daily Mail: ‘When he heard about this vile attack Paul was desperately worried for his brother and knew he needed to be there as quickly as possible.
‘Him and Lee are really close and hearing something like that happened was sickening for him. All he could think about was getting to Lee.
‘Luckily he has been taking flying lessons for two years and wasted no time in calling his instructor and getting airborne.
‘It meant he could be with his brother hours quicker than if he’d driven.’
Lee, 54, was rushed to hospital after he was kicked in the face and back by another man following a row while out walking his dog.
A pal of Paul’s told the Daily Mail: ‘When he heard about this vile attack Paul was desperately worried for his brother and knew he needed to be there as quickly as possible. Him and Lee are really close and hearing something like that happened was sickening for him’ (Pictured: Paul and brother Lee)
Pictured: Hollywood seen previously in his helicopter. He stayed with his brother for two days before jetting back south, with a quick pit stop for fuel in Stoke-on-Trent
Detective Inspector Phil Ryan said: ”This was a nasty and unprovoked assault which left the man needing hospital treatment. Pictured: a previous appeal issued by Merseyside Police for information related to the attack
Paul later shared the police’s appeal for public information on Instagram
The attack happened on Links View Playing fields at around 7.10pm August 8 and started after Lee’s dog and another dog, which was being walked by another male, began barking at each other.
A 33-year-old man from Leasowe has since been arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent and was released on conditional bail, Merseyside Police said.
Detective Inspector Phil Ryan said: ‘This was a nasty and unprovoked assault which left the man needing hospital treatment.
‘We are appealing for anyone who was in the area of Links View Playing fields or Shackleton Road at around 7pm last night who heard or saw the incident or saw the male leaving the area to contact us.’
Sharing the full appeal on his social media, Paul added: ‘If you have information regarding this attack on Friday night, the person in question who was attacked is my brother Lee. Any information please follow details above Thankyou.’
Paul stayed with his brother for two days before jetting back south, with a quick pit stop for fuel in Stoke-on-Trent.
He has been learning to fly for almost two years and is now on his nail-biting cross-country exams – which mean clocking up 100 nautical miles solo before he takes his final exam.
Over the bank holiday, eagle-eyed fans spotted him at Chatham Airfield and Lydd Airport.
Lee, 54, (pictured right), was rushed to hospital after he was kicked in the face and back by another man following a row while out walking his dog. The attack happened on Links View Playing fields at around 7.10pm August 8
Paul’s training flights have rankled some neighbours near his £1million Kent home who have voiced concern about the noise
But Paul’s training flights have rankled some neighbours near his £1million Kent home who have voiced concern about the noise.
Local Sue Keys, 72, said: ‘You certainly hear him when he’s overhead, there’s a lot of aircraft noise anyway what with us being so close to Headcorn air field.
‘He’s been using the helicopter for the last three months or so and when he first started I’d be thinking to myself ‘what’s that? he’s a bit low’ and It’d give me a bit of a startle but I’ve got used to it now.’
Another neighbour, who only gave his name as John, 62, said: ‘We have horses so when the helicopter comes in on certain days they get a bit spooked and don’t like it.
‘But having said that, we live in a noisy spot. There’s an airfield around the back of us from which Spitfires fly out from, other helicopters and aircraft come flying across over the fields.
‘The road is busy during rush-hour and there’s a busy pub opposite.’
Like his brother, Lee pursued a career in baking, but back in 2020, his bread company went bust.
Lee attempted to follow in his brother’s footsteps by opening Born & Bread in The Wirral which supplied hundreds of artisan loaves, baguettes and sweet treats to hotels, restaurants, delicatessens and football clubs but the business later went into administration.
Paul is married to pub landlady Melissa. The pair tied the knot in a sun-soaked ceremony in Cyprus in 2023.
She ran The Chequers Inn near the couple’s home and won a bitter planning row with locals to turn it into a house.
However, after winning approval from the council the pub was sold and reopened under new ownership in November.
Melissa and Paul had put more than £80,000 of their own cash into trying to save the pub and said it was no longer viable as a business.
At a council planning meeting in August Paul said criticism of his family over the closure had been ‘unforgivable’.
Like his brother, Lee (pictured) pursued a career in baking, opening Born & Bread in The Wirral, but back in 2020, his bread company went bust
Paul is married to pub landlady Melissa (both pictured). The pair tied the knot in a sun-soaked ceremony in Cyprus in 2023. She ran The Chequers Inn near the couple’s home and won a bitter planning row with locals to turn it into a house
He said: ‘The vindictiveness from the locals towards the family who have been here 18 years is unforgivable.’
Paul, who married the landlady of the Grade II listed pub last September, said: ‘I have given a substantial amount of money to turn it into what it is now.
‘It is a beautiful pub but it is a business that is losing money.’
