There’s something about Mary
Everything Queen of Cakes Mary Berry does is a recipe for success – and her stock just continues to rise…
Few haven’t fallen under the spell of Mary Berry’s comforting, quintessentially British charm while she’s been gracing our screens over seven series of The Great British Bake Off.
Warning of the perils of soggy bottoms as she judged amateur bakers on the BBC show, alongside fellow judge Paul Hollywood and hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, the glamorous granny became as synonymous with the British summer as Wimbledon and rained-off barbecues.
And we love her because Mary is like our favourite relative – so much more loving and caring (and wickedly witty when you least expect it) than your average celeb.
So we were devastated when it was announced that Bake Off would move to Channel 4 without her. Luckily, the sprightly 82-year-old is far from hanging up her oven gloves.
As revealed last week, our Mary will be judging a new BBC One show entitled Britain’s Best Cook – an eightpart series that will involve Mary judging amateur cooks (there may even be a marquee or two). Sound familiar?
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that Britain’s Best Cook, although it won’t air till next year – while the newfangled Bake Off returns this autumn – is hoping for the biggest bun fight in TV history.
As well as a yet-to-benamed fellow judge, Mary will be joined on the show by Strictly co-host Claudia Winkleman, recently revealed to be the highest-paid female presenter at the BBC, earning up to £500,000 a year.
But Claudia’s not the only one whose lucrative telly work is raking in the cash. Mary’s net worth – from TV work, cookbooks, merchandising and profits from her own companies – is estimated at £20m, and rising as fast as her famous cakes.
Mary has called Claudia’s role in her new show ‘the icing on the cake’, while panda-eyed Claudia seems in awe of the woman she’s set to work with, saying of the famous octogenarian, ‘I am over the moon to be part of this show. I’m slightly obsessed with Mary, so will follow her around with my own moussaka for most of the filming. Apologies in advance.’
Mary and Claudia, another veritable TV giant, in the mix together? This recipe could prove quite formidable!
‘I’m slightly obsessed with Mary, so I’ll follow her round with my own moussaka for most of the filming’