Dame Mary Berry, the former Great British Bake Off judge and one of the UK's most cherished broadcasters, has been awarded the Bafta Fellowship for her exceptional contribution to television. The 91-year-old culinary icon expressed her delight, calling the honour "the icing on the cake."
A Prestigious Honour
The Bafta Fellowship represents the organisation's most prestigious individual award, recognising outstanding and exceptional contributions to film, games, or television. Dame Mary will receive the fellowship at the Bafta Television Awards next month. She admitted being "completely overwhelmed" by the announcement, saying, "What an honour for a cook to receive the Bafta Fellowship. I couldn't believe it – for just doing what I love."
A Transformative Career
Bafta hailed Dame Mary as "one of the UK's most beloved broadcasters," noting her illustrious career spanning six decades since her television debut in the 1970s. Her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off was described as "nothing short of transformative." According to Bafta, "By shifting the genre towards a format rooted in warmth and encouragement, she inspired a national resurgence in home baking and established a new paradigm for competitive programming, one that champions craft and joy."
Personal Reflections
Dame Mary said, "I couldn't believe it was true, what a huge honour to be presented with the Bafta Fellowship. For over 50 years, I have enjoyed every moment of teaching my passion on television and I thank all the generous professionals along the way who have given me guidance and support – and I am still learning. This amazing Bafta Fellowship is the icing on the cake." She also recalled her proudest TV moment: filming with the Prince and Princess of Wales for her 2019 Christmas special, A Berry Royal Christmas. "They put their whole heart into making roulades and achieved great things, with a lot of laughter," she said. Prince William sent a special message for her 90th birthday in 2025, calling her a "true national treasure."
Ceremony Details
The Bafta Television Awards ceremony will take place at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday, May 10, with coverage on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Bafta chief executive Jane Millichip remarked, "Dame Mary Berry is a singular talent whose warmth, craft and generosity have helped shape the very best of British television. Mary Berry for more than 60 years has informed, inspired and entertained audiences, setting a new benchmark for factual entertainment, proving that expertise and empathy can draw huge audiences in primetime."
Past fellowship recipients include Kirsty Wark, Sir Billy Connolly, Dame Joanna Lumley, and Sir David Attenborough.
