Dame Mary Berry, former Great British Bake Off judge and one of the UK’s most beloved broadcasters, is to be honoured at the Bafta Television Awards
Dame Mary Berry has described it as “the icing on the cake” after discovering she will receive the Bafta Fellowship for her exceptional contribution to television.
The 91-year-old culinary icon will receive the fellowship at the Bafta Television Awards next month. She revealed she was “completely overwhelmed” by the announcement.
“What an honour for a cook to receive the Bafta Fellowship,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it – for just doing what I love.”
Bafta said the fellowship represents their most prestigious honour awarded to an individual, “in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television”.
Hailing Dame Mary as “one of the UK’s most beloved broadcasters”, the organisation noted her illustrious career has stretched across six decades since her television debut in the 1970s.
It highlighted her position as a judge on The Great British Bake Off as “nothing short of transformative”.
“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,” Bafta added.
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The Bafta Television Awards ceremony takes place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday May 10, with coverage on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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.”
The culinary icon, who received her damehood in the 2020 Birthday Honours, said her proudest moment on TV so far was filming with the Prince and Princess of Wales for her Christmas special, A Berry Royal Christmas, in 2019.
“They put their whole heart into making roulades and achieved great things, with a lot of laughter,” she said.
William sent a special message to mark her 90th birthday in 2025, describing her as a “true national treasure” in a video aired on the BBC.
Bafta chief executive Jane Millichip said: “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.
“The Bafta Fellowship is our highest honour, and we’re proud to celebrate Mary’s extraordinary legacy at this year’s Bafta Television Awards.”
Past fellowship recipients include Kirsty Wark, Sir Billy Connolly, Dame Joanna Lumley and Sir David Attenborough.
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