Why Did Mary Berry Leave The Great British Baking Show?
Compared to high-octane, bitterly competitive reality TV shows, "The Great British Baking Show" (or "The Great British Bake Off" in its native Britain) is a balm. The baking tent is warm and inviting, there's no massive cash incentive (a humble cake stand is the only prize), and nary a competitor is "not here to make friends," to use reality TV parlance.
Perhaps no individual is more responsible for establishing the show's light and sweet tone than Mary Berry. Alongside bread aficionado Paul Hollywood, Berry joined as the competition's judge upon its premiere in 2010. However, ahead of Season 8 in 2017, Berry exited "The Great British Baking Show" and was replaced by Prue Leith. That year, the show moved from its original home on the BBC to Channel 4. As it turned out, Berry didn't return out of loyalty to the original network.
"It was suggested what would happen if I did go to Channel 4; what I would get, the advantages," Berry told RadioTimes. "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."
Mary Berry was loyal to the BBC
When "The Great British Baking Show" left the BBC, Mary Berry recalled in the same RadioTimes interview, "No one was more surprised than me." She continued, "It was the BBC's programme, it grew there. So I decided to stay with the BBC, with Mel and Sue." In addition to Berry, original presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins left the series as well, making way for a rotating cast of newcomers, including erstwhile host Matt Lucas and the most recent duo, Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond.
Still, Berry has no ill will toward Paul Hollywood for sticking around. "I would always stand by him," she added. "Paul and I had our differences about what was important to us but he is a brilliant bread-maker and I admired him a lot."
Since exiting the show in 2016, Berry has stuck to her word and continues to collaborate with the BBC, appearing on programs like "Mary Berry Cooks," "Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites," and "Mary Berry Everyday."
Berry continues to hold "The Great British Baking Show" in high esteem — even if, admittedly, she's not a devoted viewer. "I don't actually watch 'Bake Off,'" Berry told The Mirror. "You can imagine, being married to me, there's a lot of food about, so we don't watch much cooking on telly."