{"id":529707,"date":"2025-10-26T19:09:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T19:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/529707\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T19:09:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T19:09:23","slug":"mary-berry-was-told-off-and-warned-if-youre-not-fun-theyll-turn-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/529707\/","title":{"rendered":"Mary Berry was told off and warned ‘if you’re not fun, they’ll turn over’"},"content":{"rendered":"

As she celebrates turning 90, Mary promises ‘tasty, cost-efficient’ recipes as she cooks with six stars in brand new BBC series\"MaryMary says she’s been a fan of Jamie’s ever since he started out as The Naked Chef (Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

As Dame Mary Berry launches a new series to celebrate her 90th birthday, the celebrities who feature in the BBC<\/a> show have told just how much they enjoyed cooking alongside her. And she, in turn, has loved teaching them how to get to grips with a few simple meals that they can now produce time and time again.<\/p>\n

When it came to learning her own craft, Mary<\/a> says she discovered how to be successful at fronting TV cookery shows back in the 1960s, when she became a regular guest on Judith Chalmers\u2019 show Good Afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe gave me great guidance,\u201d Mary remembers. \u201cJudy told me: \u2018You’re not smiling when you’re doing it. You don’t talk to the crew. You really must. They’re helping you. Lift your head and smile at them.\u2019 She said, \u2018If you’re not fun, they’ll turn over to the other channel and there’s only one more channel.\u2019 She was right, I was so nervous I was concentrating too hard. So from that day I smiled, I looked at everybody, talked to everybody, and it changed for me. I enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Celebrity Traitors are ‘worst Faithfuls ever’ after three more exits including a ‘big dog’<\/a>READ MORE: Traitors’ Stephen Fry’s life on the line after ‘coke and beer binge’ with pal<\/a>\"MaryMary and The One Show’s Alex Jones have become firm friends over the years(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

An astonishing 60 years later, Mary has long been one of the best-loved presenters on the BBC, having relaunched her career alongside Paul Hollywood on The Great British Bake Off<\/a> in 2010, at the age of 75.<\/p>\n

But even after all these decades, it\u2019s clear that the reason Mary continues is because of the happiness it brings her. \u201cI love teaching cooking, whether it’s with television, radio or in a book,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn my books I started doing step-by-step techniques, I think I was the first to do so. If I can help people with some inspiration for recipes, make a suggestion for a dinner party meal, or help non-cooks with a step-by-step guide to an easy supper \u2013 that\u2019s what brings me joy. I want to produce recipes that people can share together which are achievable and can be cost efficient too – which is tasty.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to the celebrities in her new six-part series, some she knew before and others she\u2019s only just met. The one thing they all have in common is that they\u2019re far better cooks now, having had a series of lessons with Mary, who actually celebrated her 90th birthday back in March.<\/p>\n

\"MaryActor Kiell has promised to do better than microwaved scrambled eggs in future(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

The One Show\u2019s Alex Jones<\/a>, 48, said Mary had become a close pal. “I\u2019m not the most accomplished cook and luckily my husband is very handy in the kitchen, but what could be better than being taught by the one and only Queen Mary Berry? She has such patience and really is a fantastic teacher and over the years she helped me perfect a few of her delicious recipes. More than anything, Mary is a very special friend and I really value our friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary reciprocated, saying: \u201cHow I adore Alex, having known her for many years she is a real mate and I\u2019m always so pleased to be able to teach her some of my favourite classic recipes – Alex\u2019s cooking has definitely improved over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alan Titchmarsh<\/a>, 76, also felt that Mary had also helped him enormously. \u201cMy wife Alison uses Mary\u2019s recipes all the time. It seemed only right that I should pull my weight and learn at least a couple of them. Both are absolutely delicious and they will now become my signature dishes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AlanAlan said it was about time he helped out his wife with the cooking – and Mary was the perfect person to teach him(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

Mary said it felt fair to help Alan, because he had helped her. \u201cHe inspires me with my gardening<\/a>,\u201d she explained. \u201cWhen I was cooking with him he was so enthusiastic \u2013 if a little nervous. He\u2019s a novice cook and it was the first time he\u2019s ever made a cake.\u201d She was delighted when he tried out her spaghetti recipe at home, sending Mary a picture. \u201cI thought, \u2018that is sheer dedication\u2019 and I was thrilled. I inspired Alan to cook in the same way that he inspires me to garden \u2013 I love that we inspire each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe, 36, said Mary had also brought some big changes into his life. \u201cSomehow I managed to get a Dame round who didn’t once judge me for my kitchen shortcuts,\u201d he marvelled. \u201cI hope I did Dame Mary proud and maybe now I\u2019ll stop doing scrambled eggs in the microwave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary enjoyed the actor\u2019s company enormously. “I couldn\u2019t have asked for a better student in Kiell. He shares my love of having friends round and entertaining but just needed a little help with the cooking part. The trick is to keep it simple which is what we did and Kiell served some amazing food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MaryGabby Logan is very modest about her great soup, according to Mary(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

In his episode, comedian Tom Allen took a boat trip with Mary. “What could be more delightful than cruising down the river with Dame Mary cooking al fresco?\u201d he wondered. \u201cAren\u2019t I lucky? It was a privilege to be endowed with Dame Mary’s 60 years of expertise. We cooked with gas\u2026.literally!\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary said she\u2019d had so much fun with Tom, 42. \u201cHe has a fabulous sense of humour and made me giggle. He loved making my classic bread and butter pudding \u2013 it\u2019s a recipe that I\u2019ve not changed in 60 years, although it\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve cooked it by the side of a river.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Alex, Mary was already friends with sports presenter Gabby Logan<\/a>, 52. \u201cWe used to live in the same village so I\u2019ve known her for a while,\u201d Mary said. \u201cShe\u2019s a very good cook and is so modest. I\u2019ve had supper with her where she made a fantastic soup. Gabby is so busy juggling her job with family, she was the perfect person to prepare four freezer-friendly recipes with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MaryMary and Tom made bread and butter pudding al fresco in the series(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

And Channel 4<\/a>\u2019s celebrated chef Jamie Oliver<\/a> also stars in one of the shows. Saying it was \u201ca real honour and a joy\u201d to cook with him, Mary recalls: \u201cI remember when Jamie appeared on our screens, cheeky and keen to reach everyone. He had this very fresh approach, he was a sort of overgrown schoolboy cooking, with all sorts of quick ideas,.\u201d She said that, as an audience we soon grew to trust Jamie, 50, thanks to his \u201cbrilliant\u201d recipes that appeal to all ages. \u201cHe\u2019s a good all-rounder and I\u2019ve followed him from the day one, and I\u2019m full of admiration for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

– Mary at 90: A Lifetime of Cooking, BBC2, Tuesday, 7.30pm<\/p>\n

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