Mary Berry 'still thinks about her son every day' since his tragic death

Cookery writer and TV star Mary Berry is looking back over career ahead of BBC series around her 90th birthday

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Dame Mary Berry thinks about her late son “every day” but insists she has been very fortunate in life.

The food writer, chef, baker and television presenter has enjoyed an incredible career and will be back on screen later this month in the BBC series Mary at 90: A Lifetime of Cooking. Looking back over her life and career as she promoted the show, the former Bake Off judge was asked about her son William, who was killed aged 19 in a car crash in 1989.

Mary said: “I think of William every day. Of course I do. And if he were to walk through that door over there, I would say, ‘Where the hell have you been?’ I’m still very proud of him. I think of the joy he gave us. He was a lovely child, but you have to step back and think – I had wonderful parents, I’ve got two more children, Annabel and Tom, and my grandchildren. I mean, it would be devastating if you only had one child. I am very fortunate. And I have a husband who is 93.”

Mary has been married to her husband Paul since 1966, and as well as William, they have a son, Thomas, and a daughter, Annabel, whom she remains close to. Annabel works with her mum and is an accomplished chef in her own right. Mary said the secret of her happy marriage was walking away when an argument was on the cards.

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She told Radio Times: “Paul always says that the secret to our long marriage is his saying, ‘Yes, dear’ to everything, and then going his own way. But we don’t argue. If any disagreements come up, I open the back door and just go out and maybe pick some flowers or get some apples. It’s amazing if you can walk away.

“Of course, if I was living in a top-floor flat, that would be difficult. But we respect each other. And I’m very lucky. He has mellowed in his old age and he’s become very appreciative of me.

"So I look after him, and it’s a great pleasure. That’s what I promised to do. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer. And we are very happy in our dotage.”

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Mary has been working on screen long enough with food to remember when five spices and fresh ginger were exciting new ingredients to use and tin foil came over to the UK from America for the first time.

She says she has Delia Smith to thank for a pay rise when she was a young writer. “Delia was absolutely brilliant. She came to stay with her husband Michael and we chatted about all sorts of things. I mean, you should never discuss money, sex or religion. But we did discuss money.

"She said, ‘You’re not being paid enough for your writing. I know an agent, Felicity Bryan, and I’ll ring her tonight.’ And the next day I got a postcard from Felicity saying, ‘Can we meet?’ And I’m still with her agency for my books.”

Fast forward a few decades and Mary has more than 70 books and sold more than five million copies. She is also known for her loyalty, staying with the BBC when the Great British Bake Off moved to Channel 4.

She said: “I feel very cherished by the BBC, and it was quite right I stayed with them,”

* Mary at 90: A Lifetime of Cooking will be on BBC2 and BBC iPlayer later this month.

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