“A lot of laughter”: Mary Berry on her “proudest” project which Princess of Wales put her “whole heart” into
Congratulations are in order for the nation’s best-lover baker, Dame Mary Berry, as it’s been announced that she’s being honoured with a BAFTA Fellowship. Dame Mary is being honoured her long career teaching and inspiring the nation (and further afield!) to get baking.
Speaking in a BAFTA release, Dame Mary says she is ‘completely overwhelmed’. When she first heard the news, Mary says she, ‘couldn’t believe it.’ In the release, Dame Mary also reflects on some of her most treasured moments from her long television career. Speaking on her proudest moment, Dame Mary chose a very special royal encounter which took place over Christmas in 2019.
A Berry Royal Christmas saw her welcome a pair of very special guests, as the Prince and Princess of Wales joined Dame Mary in the kitchen. The couple weren’t afraid to roll their sleeves up, and Mary revealed that she had ‘a lot of laughs’ with the couple during filming.
‘They put their whole heart into making roulades,’ Mary says. The verdict on their efforts? ‘They achieved great things.’ It’s perhaps not a surprise that Kate had a way with dessert, as she revealed to Mary during filming that she bakes all the birthday cakes for her children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – herself.
Dame Mary first graced our screens in the 1970s, and admits she was a little nervous when she was first faced with the cameras, but quickly rallied. ‘I thought, grasp the nettle and get on with it. I would remind myself; it’s just like having someone in my kitchen at home.’
Nowadays, Dame Mary is still synonymous for many for her time on The Great British Bake Off. ‘In the past, cooking competitions had been for chefs and not home cooks,’ says Dame Mary. ‘My aim was to encourage families baking at home, and it reached all generations.’
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Dame Mary Berry DBE is to be awarded BAFTA Fellowship for her exceptional contribution to television
Mary also credits her fellow judge and presenters for the early success of the show. ‘With Mel and Sue, who are so brilliant at their jobs, we made it fun. I was very grateful for having Paul Hollywood as he was the bread expert.’
While Dame Mary has had a long and full career, that doesn’t mean she’s done yet. ‘I feel that even now I love the chance to do something new,’ she says. ‘I am always ready for the next challenge!’
