Latest news with #DameMary
Wales Online
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Mary Berry told Prue Leith 'he doesn't need you' in honest response to Bake Off question
Mary Berry told Prue Leith 'he doesn't need you' in honest response to Bake Off question Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith has opened up about the advice she was given by her predecessor, Dame Mary Berry, after taking over from her on the show Dame Prue Leith has revealed how she spoke to Dame Mary Berry shortly after taking a role on the Great British Bake Off (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) Dame Prue Leith has shared an insightful tidbit about Dame Mary Berry's advice when she was set to take over from the baking legend on the Great British Bake Off. Already a celebrated figure in the culinary scene and having made various TV appearances, Dame Mary became a familiar face on the BBC in 2010 with her co-host Paul Hollywood on The Great British Bake Off, providing critiques on the contestants' baking creations. After a remarkable six-year stint on the show, Dame Mary chose to depart out of allegiance to the BBC when GBBO's move to Channel 4 was announced. Dame Mary stepped down from her position on the Channel 4 in 2016 (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) The announcement soon followed that Dame Mary's successor would be none other than Dame Prue, with Paul continuing his role as judge. Reflecting on this significant moment in her career during an interview on the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast, Dame Prue reminisced about reaching out to Dame Mary for guidance ahead of stepping into her new role. Article continues below Reflecting on her past interactions with the renowned baker, Dame Prue recalled: "I have known Mary for many, many years, we're not close friends but we do like each other. Dame Prue revealed how she was eager to get a character reference of Paul Hollywood after taking a role on the show (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) "When I got the job that she had given up on Bake Off, I rang her up to ask her whether Paul Hollywood was workable with, and I thought, she had worked with him for eight years by then, so I knew she would tell me the truth." She recounted Dame Mary's sage advice about working with Paul: "She was very interesting, she said 'do you know what? He is so good and he is very good at his job and he knows baking backwards, he's a lovely guy and very friendly and easy to work with'." Dame Prue also divulged what the cherished baker warned her about: "But, he knows so much and he's so knowledgeable, he doesn't need you at all. You have to just hold your own and push yourself in because he'll just do the show without you'." Dame Prue recently stepped back from her role on the celebrity edition of the show (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) Article continues below Even though Dame Prue has been a part of the show since taking over from Dame Mary in 2017, avid GBBO followers might have noticed her absence in the celebrity special, where newsreader Kate Garraway triumphed as the champion. Discussing why she opted out of the latest series, she cited the demanding schedule as a key reason: "These things are filmed back-to-back all the way through summer from April to August so you don't get any time off." Continuing, she shared: "I'm getting quite old and there's places I want to see. So I'm not doing this year's."
Edinburgh Live
23-05-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Great British Bake Off star Mary Berry opens up on 'lucky' recovery from deadly illness
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Dame Mary Berry, the renowned Great British Bake Off star, has candidly shared how a life-threatening childhood illness continues to affect her to this day. Dame Mary, who has been a respected figure in the culinary world for years, developed a passion for cooking and baking in her 20s while studying at the prestigious Cordon Bleu in Paris during the 1960s. As she rose to prominence, the 90-year-old made her television debut in the early 1970s alongside Judith Chalmers. In the 1980s, she balanced raising three children with releasing books and filming BBC TV series. However, her journey was marked by a potentially fatal illness she contracted as a teenager. Reflecting on that uncertain period, Dame Mary recalled being taken to hospital and learning about her condition after falling ill. (Image: undefined via Getty Images) Speaking on the Lessons From Our Mothers podcast, she recalled: "I remember saying to the nurse, who was absolutely covered in masks, 'what's wrong with me?'. "She picked up a clipboard from the end of the table and said 'you've got infantile paralysis'. I had no idea what that was." However, after going on to make a full recovery, the baker admitted "I was so lucky". She said: "It's only just down the left side. I've got a bit of a funny hand, but people think it's arthritis, but it's polio. And I've got a bit of a curve in my spine." (Image: undefined via Getty Images) The beloved television personality has fared better than many, overcoming infantile paralysis, known as polio, though not without lingering effects. Not everyone has been as fortunate with polio; some sufferers have experienced dangerous complications like meningitis and encephalitis, while tragically, others have succumbed to the disease. The UK, which last saw a confirmed case of polio in 1984, has, in large part, the vast vaccination programme to thank for the lack of cases since the 1980s. (Image: Getty Images) Those who contract polio may experience symptoms such as a high temperature, fatigue, headaches, vomiting, a stiff neck, and muscle pain, as noted by the NHS. Fans of Dame Mary can look forward to seeing her on TV again, as she will feature at 7.30 pm tonight (May 24) during the RHS Chelsea Flower Show broadcasts on BBC One.
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Dame Mary Berry moved to tears by William's 90th birthday wishes
Dame Mary Berry is celebrating her 90th birthday on Monday, with the Prince of Wales among those marking the milestone by sending messages to the "true national treasure".Prince William's birthday wishes to the TV chef will be shown on a special pre-recorded episode of BBC One's The One Show One Show host Alex Jones told BBC Radio 2: "We had lots of messages throughout the programme for Mary - but one in particular blew her away. I mean, there were tears before we'd even started."In his message, the prince tells Dame Mary: "I want to wish you a very happy 90th birthday. You are a true national treasure and we've loved working with you over the years." He adds: "Have a fantastic day today. "I dread to think who's cooking your cake and the criticism they might get but good luck and I hope it goes really well."The One Show's birthday party does involve a cake - made by fellow celebrity chef Monica Galetti. 'Massive celebration' Claudia Winkleman will also appear, as will Dame Mary's former Great British Bake Off co-stars Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins."It's a massive celebration," Jones said. "We have got lots of guests that have touched her life over the years."Claudia is on because they did a show together and they're great friends. "And then we may have two ladies who were on a very popular programme with her on BBC One."It's like a reunion."Dame Mary has also marked her birthday by joining Instagram for the first time.
Telegraph
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Mary Berry calls vegan substitute for egg whites ‘stupid'
Dame Mary Berry has called a vegan substitute for egg-whites in baking 'stupid'. The former Great British Bake Off judge, 89, offered her unapologetic take on using the popular egg-white substitute aquafaba – the liquid from canned chickpeas – for baked goods. Sitting down with British Vogue for an interview ahead of her 90th birthday on Monday, Dame Mary was asked her opinion on 'whipping chickpea water into an egg-white substitute', to which she simply responded with a laugh, saying: 'Stupid.' Aquafaba, derived from the water the chickpeas have been cooked in, has become a popular vegan egg substitute, known for its ability to whip into a fluffy texture meaning it can emulate egg whites in recipes, including meringues and mousses. However, the doyenne of British baking, who was made a Dame Commander in late 2021 for an influential culinary career spanning more than 50 years, disagreed. Instead, she will be using traditional methods to whip up her favourite Victoria sandwich cake for her 90th birthday next week. 'It's a bit hackneyed, but there's nothing better than a Victoria sandwich,' she said of the cake she has been making since during the Second World War. 'It's an act of love, isn't it, baking a cake,' she told British Vogue, adding: 'It brings people together. It's a celebration.' Dame Mary became a household name to a new generation of bakers thanks to her role as a judge, alongside Paul Hollywood, in the popular show The Great British Bake Off. Her first cookbook, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook, was published in 1970 and she has gone on to write more than 50 others which have sold millions of copies around the world. She has addressed the rising popularity of veganism before, telling the BBC in 2021 that she was 'eager' to discover new vegan recipes. 'When I was young, most people hadn't ever heard of vegetarian, let alone vegan, but times are changing fast and I'm eager to explore,' Dame Mary said. Speaking in 2022, the television cook admitted that she doesn't follow 'any particular diet,' but is 'careful' with her body weight and just eats 'a little bit less'. Elsewhere in her Vogue interview, Dame Mary addressed her secrets to a happy marriage ahead of her 60th wedding anniversary. She said: 'Respect. Love, of course, but respect is so important. And I don't count the decades too closely. 'Also we never raise our voices at each other because, you know, we love each other. If I'm a bit miffed, I very often think, 'Well, I'm not gonna say that right now. I'll go to the greenhouse and do some cuttings.' Never go to sleep on a quarrel.' Dame Mary, who has been married to her retired antiquarian bookseller husband since 1966, added: 'Happiness is very, very important, but it can be elusive sometimes. You have to look after it.' The couple have two grown-up children, Thomas and Annabel, but lost their son William in a car accident in 1989 when he was aged 19. 'It was a huge tragedy, but we did have two more children,' she said. 'We always think we were fortunate to have had him for 19 years. 'We still talk about him – the grandchildren particularly, the boys who love rugby.' Dame Mary added: 'It's absolutely amazing in my 90th year to think that William died all that time ago. If he walked in that door over there, I would say: 'Where have you been?' It wouldn't surprise me at all.' The full feature in the April issue of British Vogue will be available via digital download and on news-stands from March 25.
