Mary Berry denies being approached by Channel 4 to carry Bake Off baton
Celebrity chef Mary Berry, star of the popular Great British Bake Off series, has denied ever having been approached by Channel 4 to continue as the formats figurehead – but had decided to remain loyal to the BBC in any case.
Channel Four snatched the rights to the hit programme last year in a major blow to the BBC, recruiting restaurateur and writer Prue Leith to fill Berry’s shoes when it airs later in the year.
Revealing all to the Radio Times Berry said: “I was never asked to go. Well, I avoided being asked. It was suggested what would happen if I did go to Channel 4; what I would get, the advantages. But I didn’t ever have a meeting with them. I’d made up my mind. To me it’s an honour to be on the BBC. I was brought up on it.”
Berry’s loyalty to the BBC has paid off with the public broadcaster commissioning the cook to front two brand new shows; Mary Berry’s Everyday on BBC2 and Mary Berry’s Secrets from Britain’s Great Houses.
Berry’s experience differs markedly to that of her co-star Paul Hollywood who was encouraged to make the jump with a £1.2m pay packet over three years, making him the sole member of the original presenting lineup to migrate three channels up.
Hollywood's commercial acumen has also seen him launch his own baking range.