It is low-key the worst when one of your favorite stars leaves a show. Take The Great British Bake Off (GBBO) star Matt Lucas, who recently announced that he would be departing the show after three seasons. While we wish him the best in his new endeavors, we also know that the show isn't going to be the same without him.
Over the past 13 seasons, GBBO has had so many great judges come and go. In fact, after Season 7 ended in 2016, fan-favorite food writer Mary Berry left the show along with comediennes Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. While we saw Mel and Sue's departure coming, Mary's exit seemed to be more abrupt. Below, we explain why she quit the popular reality baking series.
Why did Mary Berry leave 'GBBO'?
Mary left GBBO because the U.K. series switched networks. The show, which originally aired on BBC, decided to move to Channel 4 instead of sticking with BBC. Unhappy with the decision, Mary left the cast to show her loyalty to BBC.
Over her decades-long career, Mary has spent a lot of time on the BBC, headlining at least five limited series for the channel, including Mary Berry Cooks, Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites, and Mary Berry Everyday.
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The 87-year-old admitted to RadioTimes that she never gave Channel 4 an opportunity to ask her to stay. "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," she told the publication. "I’d made up my mind. To me, it’s an honor to be on the BBC. I was brought up on it."
The network’s COO Charlotte Moore said she wasn’t surprised the cookbook author decided to stay put. "Mary is an extraordinary woman, loved and adored by the British public, and the BBC is her natural home," the TV executive said per the BBC's website.
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Mary Berry seemingly suggested that Paul Hollywood chose money over loyalty.
In response to her fellow judge Paul Hollywood's decision to remain on GBBO, Mary declared that she would always "stand by him," but also added, "Paul and I had our differences about what was important to us."
Paul explained why he was returning to the show in a statement of his own. "It's been a huge part of my life in the past few years and I just couldn't turn my back on all that," Paul shared. He later went on to thank Mary in a tweet.
"I’ll miss her but she has made the right decision for her," he noted. "I’m staying in the tent with the bakers where I belong."
Paul is set to return for Season 14 of GBBO, which is slated to air in 2023.
One of the main reasons was her loyalty to the BBC, where she had worked for many years and felt a strong connection to. She also expressed concerns about the show's commercialization and felt that it might compromise the integrity of the program.
Diana Beard stirred up a storm on series five when it appeared she had taken Iain Watters' Baked Alaska ice cream out of the freezer. A frustrated Iain threw his creation into the bin and even presented said disposal unit to the judges when it was time to bring his bake up to the front of the tent.
He explained that it had become too much of a struggle juggling his various TV commitments. “Farewell Bake Off!” he wrote in a statement. “It's been a delicious experience and I can't imagine a more fun way of spending my summers.
What happens to the leftover food on the Bake Off? You will be happy to know that the goodies do not go to waste, as the leftover baked goods are shared between the crew and the bakers themselves.
Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. According to Mary herself, she walked away from the tent of bakers out of "loyalty" to the BBC. "It was the BBC's program, it grew there," she told RadioTimes.com.
However, in a recent interview with Radio Times, the 65-year-old admitted that she was already growing tired of the show before her departure. “To be honest, I left Bake Off because I stopped having fun,” she said. “I was literally standing there watching meringues dry and thinking, 'Oh my god, my brain is atrophying.
#Bingate. Arguably one of the most controversial moments in the Bake Off tent ever; when Iain Watters ice cream melted after his fellow contestant Diana Beard removed his dessert from the freezer during the 2014 series.
Watters then challenged BBC's account. The controversy deepened when Diana dropped out of the competition soon after due to a fall that left her without a sense of smell or taste.
In 2009, a Sunday Times article revealed that Fielding developed alcohol-induced hepatitis during his college years; he said that he was helped through this time by his friend and collaborator Nigel Coan.
Tom Allen announced his departure from Bake Off: The Professionals in February, explaining that it was 'time to move on'. 'I've had the best time co-hosting The Professionals down in Sussex with my wonderful friend Lam but now is the time to move on,' he said in a post shared on Instagram.
It was previously reported that Noel makes around £200,000 per series of Bake Off, according to The Sun. Meanwhile, Alison is no stranger to the programme as she took part in Celebrity Great British Bake Off which helps to raise money for Stand Up to Cancer.
Bakers on "The Great British Baking Show" wear the same clothes for multiple days of filming. Speaking to Insider, contestants described the experience as "stinky" and "very dirty." Some bakers bought duplicate outfits or tried to wash their clothes in a bathtub.
Why Is Everything So Clean During Judging? Because one woman named Iva hand washes every pot, pan and utensil after the bake and before judging. "We have a good system with two sinks," Moore told the BBC, adding that runners help her clean up.
But no matter how many stains they got on their outfits, bakers were required to wear the same clothes every day of shooting an episode to maintain continuity among their various interviews and challenges.
They continued: "Mary was close to Paul's wife and has been disgusted by his treatment of her so it has soured their relationship. She also was disappointed that he continued to do Bake Off on Channel 4 which she felt showed a lack of character.
In a joint Twitter and Instagram statement, Matt explained that his time on The Great British Baking Show has come to an end so that he can focus on other opportunities.
Big Narstie appeared in The Great British Bake Off "The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off", series 2, episode 3. He completed two of three challenges; he did not appear at the third challenge due to being taken ill; he was replaced in the challenge by presenter Sandi Toksvig.
Prue has made it clear she adores the show and would like to come back in 2025." A spokesperson from Love Productions confirmed the news to Digital Spy saying: "Prue will be stepping back from The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer."
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