‘We like to freak out the bakers’

A secret new challenge, scaring nervous contestants, and why cake is very important to Mary Berry, 81 – while Paul Hollywood, 50, will always be a sucker for savoury

What can we expect from W the new series of The Great British Bake Off?

PAUL: New people! And we have a category we’ve never done before. I don’t want to give too much away, but think along the lines of Yorkshire puddings. The technical challenge is quite tricky, but fun! MARY: Tricky? It was bloomin’ impossible!

Any disasters this year?

PAUL: We had a few; it took the contestants a couple of shows to settle in. MARY: I think they were slower to bond. But the series just gets better as it goes on.

Do you feel like you’re in a Bake Off bubble filming this show?

PAUL: It is literally the four of us [Paul, Mary plus show presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins] in a tent, with a load of bakers and some cameras. We’re in a house in the middle of the English countryside – miles away from everybody, just doing our job.

Do you have any amusing anecdotes you can share?

PAUL: I like to remind the bakers that they’re on Bake Off. I have the show theme tune as my phone ringtone and, one day, I waited for them to walk into the tent before I played it to them. They were freaking out – it suddenly dawned on them where they were [Paul laughs heartily].

Would you ever want to take Bake Off on tour?

MARY: [Incredulous] Leave my family and go on the road? Oh no. I love doing the BBC Good Food Show, when Paul and I are on stage, but that is a one-off as far as I am concerned. It’s a great strain being away from home – though the Bake Off

team is like a family. Can we expect the usual amount of funny innuendos?

PAUL: The first challenge we did was to bake a Madeira cake. The first thing out of Mary’s mouth? “Nice crack.” And that set the tone a bit – it was hilarious! MARY: We had a real chuckle. And this goes on the whole time – all the way through.

Who wears the trousers in your relationship?

MARY: We both wear the trousers. PAUL: Yeah, we both wear the trousers on Bake Off, actually.

Do you have dinner together after filming or are you full from the show?

PAUL:this year, We but have normallydone a couplewe’re shattered.of times Especially at the beginning because there are 12 bakers, and 12 people can take us 13 hours to film. So we get to the hotel afterwards and it’s more like [Paul makes

a grunting noise], “Urgh, room service!” Do you have a favourite week this series?

PAUL: Bread week. I also liked pastry week – anything savoury for me. MARY: [Practically salivating] Ahh, we do like savoury! The crew don’t get a look-in. PAUL: We’ve got a great one as well: breakfast pastries. You’ve got puff pastry

and then you’re using bacon [Paul makes a noise of absolute ecstasy].

Do you have to watch your waistline doing this show?!

PAUL: I’d never go on a diet, although I’ve been training a lot lately because I race cars now so I’ve been doing a lot of weight lifting and boxing. MARY: We’re total opposites. I don’t do any training or go to the gym, or anything other than walking and playing tennis. I eat all the things I love: cake is very important to me, but it’s the size of the slice…

Finally, what made Nadiya such a perfect winner in the last series?

MARY: Nadiya had flair from the very beginning. She concentrated and had exceptional knowledge in her head before she started. We are very proud of her. PAUL: And she was very expressive! By Hannah Wright

The Great British Bake Off, Wed 24 Aug, 8PM, BBC1