Berry refuses to back down in row over use of deep fat fryers
GREAT British Bake Off star Mary Berry has defended her opposition to deep-fat fryers after her comments sparked indignation from MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace.
Berry, 81, provoked controversy when she told a magazine that “I don’t think any household should have a deepfat fryer”, while also speaking out against children drinking fizzy drinks.
Wallace responded by saying the Great British Bake Off veteran’s opposition to the deep-fat fryer is “an attack on our British way of life”.
Now Berry has stuck by her comments, telling the Radio 4 Today programme deep-fat fryers are dangerous because they cause fires, as well as being detrimental to health.
“I have never, on any of my programmes, ever used a deep-fat fryer,” she said.
“Nowadays everybody eats in the kitchen, I know we do, and I certainly don’t want the smell of frying while I’m eating.
“And so we do have oven chips from time to time when the grandchildren come – give them a treat – but I usually do things in the oven rather than frying.
“I think it’s unhealthy as well.”
She added: “Years ago I was on a programme – Good Afternoon (with Judith Chalmers) – and we had a fireman in the programme, and he told me most kitchen fires were caused by deep-fat frying because ... most people cook with a pan of fat on top of their cooker, and sometimes they get distracted and there’s a fire.”
Wallace criticised fellow BBC star Berry by writing in the Sun On Saturday. He said: “Our nation was built on chips and spam fritters ... I love Mary dearly but this is an attack on our British way of life.”
Berry is back on screen with fellow judge Paul Hollywood in the new series of Bake Off as another group of cake-loving hopefuls see whether they can stand the heat of the kitchen.
She said she was very happy to stay at the BBC, following reports ITV had tried to poach the programme.
“I’m very happy where we have been and I’ve enjoyed the Bake Off and any decision that’s made is not mine,” she said.
The hit show returned last week to become the top rated show with audience figures of 10.4 million.
The first episode of the seventh series was watched by 47.5 per cent of all television viewers with a peak audience of 11.2m at one point, making it more popular than the most-watched moments of the Olympics.