Mary Berry doesn’t regret leaving Bake Off – and says she was “quite right” to stick with the BBC
Berry appeared as a judge on the show from its inception in 2010 until 2017.
Mary Berry has explained she doesn’t regret leaving The Great British Bake Off, saying she feels “very cherished by the BBC”.
The former judge announced she was departing the show alongside original hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins when it was confirmed Channel 4 had outbid the BBC – the show’s original home – on the rights to air further seasons back in 2017.
Berry went on to continue her TV career with several BBC shows, including Classic Mary Berry (2018) and Britain's Best Home Cook (2018).
She's also hosted numerous BBC specials in recent years, including Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas (2023) and The Jubilee Pudding: 70 years In The Baking (2022).
Speaking in a new interview with Radio Times magazine, Berry reflected on her decision to remain with the corporation back in 2017, saying: “I feel very cherished by the BBC, and it was quite right I stayed with them."
Recalling her audition when she first landed the role, Berry explained: "I said, 'I do need someone with a second opinion, and I’m really not very good at bread. It's not my forte.' So that’s how Paul Hollywood came. And gosh, he was very different from me.
"I don’t want tears. So, if something had collapsed in the middle, I’d say to a contestant, 'Do you know what you could do with that? You could just scoop a little bit out, fill it with fruit and cream, and you’ve got a pudding.'"
Following her departure from the show, Berry was replaced by Prue Leith, while Noel Fielding and Sandi Toskvig took over from Mel and Sue as presenters.
Toksvig departed the series in 2020 and was replaced by Matt Lucas, with Alison Hammond later joining the baking competition alongside Fielding.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
