12. Paul, however, knowing on which side his bread was buttered, said that he was happy to be continuing on as a judge with the show. (Plus Channel 4 offers fewer restrictions for talent to capitalize on commercial opportunities outside the series.)
Cue the nationwide controversy, with appropriately named media commentator Lord Sugar calling the production company "greedy" and predicting a "total disaster."
Awkwardly, season seven with the original cast was still about to premiere, as were two Christmas specials—but all were a smashing success. The season finale was the most-watched TV show in the U.K. in all of 2016, with 15.9 million tuning in. A year later, 7.7 million watched the season eight finale on Channel 4—but 9.2 million watched the season 11 finale and a five-minute peak of 10.2 million was the channel's biggest-ever overnight audience.
"We'll always be mates," Paul said of Mary on The Jonathan Ross Show after the split. "I was with her last weekend, we had such a giggle." Asked to confirm that his decision hadn't affected their relationship, he replied with a smile, Night King-blue eyes twinkling, "Why would it? How could it?...No, no, no, she'll always be my TV mother, as well as Mel and Sue will be my sisters. We are like a dysfunctional family."
And he and Mary did talk while they were making their respective choices, Paul shared, acknowledging that he'd been called plenty of nasty things online. "I think ultimately it was our own decisions [to stay or go]. We're all at different points in our own careers." He said that Mary told him, when he told her he'd be staying, that "if I were your age I'd do the same thing." Moreover, "I love doing my job, I really do," and yes, he was going to be paid a bit more to do the job he already loved. "I had to stay." (And if their friendship could survive Mary writing "Love, Mary x" with a Sharpie on the door of his very posh car some years back... it could survive anything.)
Asked who was in the running to join him, he suggested Keira Knightley and Kylie Minogue—fellow guests who happened to be sitting on Ross' couch with him. "Can I be Mary Berry?" Keira asked, intrigued.