Mary Berry reveals a few of her favourite things – from kitchen gadgets to cake to clothes
"I never wore trousers until I arrived on Bake Off! Mel and Sue were wearing jeans, so I thought, 'I can’t be different!'"
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Favourite TV chef…
I do watch other cookery programmes from time to time… I just like to know what’s happening. I love Michel Roux Jr and James Martin – the chefs who are experts in their own right, like Rick Stein on fish. But I don’t watch them very much because I don’t think it’s fair for my husband to be in a total food environment all the time! So we watch programmes about gardening more.
Favourite sport…
I play tennis. I don’t really watch Wimbledon – I’d rather do it myself. I’ve played for the past 20-odd years but I’m rubbish! I’ve been playing with the same four people for years. I used to play with my husband but he gave up because he said he had to run too far, so I play with girlfriends.
Favourite film star…
Judi Dench is absolutely lovely; she never stops smiling. She can be any character, but underneath I know it’s Judi Dench. I liked her in As Time Goes By with Geoffrey Palmer – who is local to us!
Favourite radio presenter…
I listen to Radio 4 a lot, but I think Chris Evans is brilliant. I used to like Terry Wogan, but Chris took over so well and is quite amazing – he is a master of radio. And I like him on The One Show. When you’ve got a book or TV show out, if you’re lucky and you get on the show, he’s so lovely… and tall! And he’s great with his charities, too.
Favourite clothes shop…
Whoever can produce a nice jacket, whether it’s Zara or Jaeger – I had some lovely winter ones from Jaeger. And different cashmeres because I’m always so cold! Pringle, Boden…I love shopping with my daughter Annabel, and with Lucy Young, who’s been my assistant for 25 years. I’ll say to her, “What am I going to wear to the awards next week?” because she keeps a picture of everything I’ve ever worn to any event, so I don’t wear the same thing twice – it’s bloody clever! Without Lucy I wouldn’t be here. I love dressing up but I’m usually pretty covered up – no bare arms, no décolleté, nothing too tight.
Favourite Bake Off outfit…
Well, I never wore trousers until I arrived on Bake Off! Mel and Sue were wearing jeans, so I thought, “I can’t be different!” So I wear jeans. But I never go out in trousers in the evening. I’m so surprised that people like my style…and when that Zara jacket [below] sold out! I bought that myself – I whizzed into the shops because I had nothing to wear for the next week’s filming! I love brightly coloured jackets. We’ll have to find some new ones for next time!
Favourite dinner-party dish…
It depends who’s coming…
And if RT were coming round for dinner?
Oh! What would I make? As a first course, I like to have something fishy. I make gravadlax and freeze it, so all I’ve got to do is get it out and make the sauce. For a main I’d do lamb fore shanks with English vegetables. The fore shanks are little, the front of the animal, but for the hungry people from Radio Times maybe I’d buy the hind shanks!
As told to Alexia Skinitis
Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites is on Friday 15th May at 8pm on BBC2
