Dame Mary Berry has thrown her support behind new Great British Bake Off judge Nigella Lawson, describing her as a “glamorous” addition who has brought “new life” to the show. The former judge, 91, also playfully urged Nigella to keep fellow judge Paul Hollywood in line.
Mary Berry's verdict on Nigella Lawson
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Dame Mary said: “Bake Off is a wonderful format. We started it off not knowing what we were doing and then Prue has been doing it and it is a format and you fit into it. I am delighted Nigella is there. She has got to keep control of a certain person. Paul needs handling and he has this handshake which keeps appearing.”
She added: “Nigella has brought some glamour to it, and she really likes tasting doesn’t she? And I know how she feels, I always took a proper mouthful because if you just take a little bit, the person whose food you are tasting, their auntie will say ‘well she didn’t even taste it’. So I was aware of that. Nigella is a joy and I think she has brought new life and I think it will do really well. A touch of glamour.”
Memories from the Bake Off tent
On stage with comedian and former Bake Off host Mel Giedroyc, the pair recalled how Mary would sometimes arrive for day two of filming in the tent with the same hair and make-up, having slept without removing it to save time on styling. Laughing, Dame Mary said: “Why not? I used to put a towel over the pillow, I didn’t want them to think I was grotty. It does take such a long time for someone to do your make up.” She also said she found the tent cold and would hide hot water bottles under her jackets.
Gardening and new books
Dame Mary was at Cheltenham to promote her first gardening book, My Gardening Life, and a new cookbook, All In One. She recalled how her father grew practical crops during wartime, saying: “My dad had to take to gardening because he had to dig for Britain and he gave me a little patch and I grew radishes.”
Now she has six raised beds in her garden, raised to above knee height so she can easily reach them. She described deadheading as “one of my favourite things”, adding: “You don’t have to dress up for it. I can do it when I get in tonight if its not dark. I can deadhead the roses which are still flowering and it so encourages more things to come on.”
Comparing gardening to cooking, she said: “Gardening is similar to cooking, you follow a formula. But cooking you can follow a recipe and produce it by tonight. Gardening you have got to be much more patient. Which do I prefer, gardening or cooking? I think the two go together. We grow vegetables that we eat, things that I like, so there is no kale, lots of herbs and I think they go together. I am a fair weather gardener, I would walk a dog in any weather but I don’t garden in any weather. I wait until the sun comes out.”
Baking career and Bake Off departure
Dame Mary’s first cookbook, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook, was published in 1970, and she has since written more than 50 others. She became a household name to a new generation when she joined The Great British Bake Off as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins in 2010. She quit the show in 2016, along with hosts Mel and Sue, when it moved to Channel 4, staying loyal to the BBC.
My Gardening Life by Mary Berry is out now, published by DK.
