I’ll always stand up for Paul, says judge Mary
FORMER Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry has said that she had her differences with Paul Hollywood, but she “admired him a lot”.
The 81-year-old decided to stay with the BBC and presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins when Channel 4 poached the hit show, saying that she was never tempted by the money.
She told Radio Times magazine “no one was more surprised than me” when Bake Off left the BBC, but that she avoided even being asked to join the show at its new home.
Asked if she had ever been attracted by the prospect of a bigger pay cheque, she replied: “No, I wasn’t.” The baking queen, who could be replaced by Prue Leith on the Channel 4 show, said of Hollywood: “I would always stand by him.
“Paul and I had our differences about what was important to us, but he is a brilliant bread-maker and I admired him a lot.”
She called Mel and Sue “extraordinary,” adding: “They are extremely bright and their humour is spontaneous and very cheeky.
“They are hilarious and I am so fond of them. It was the BBC’s programme, it grew there.
“So I decided to stay with the BBC, with Mel and Sue.”