Here's why Mary Berry decided to walk away from The Great British Baking Show after season 7. The Great British Baking Show - AKA The Great British Bake Off in its native land - is a beloved baking series that began in 2010. The show sees a group of bakers competing against one another in a series of weekly challenges before a winner is selected in the finale. The series has proved immensely popular since its debut and even led to a revival in interest in home baking.
The Great British Baking Show has been an enormous hit both in the UK and overseas. It also spawned some spinoff shows, including Junior Bake Off, The Great American Baking Show and The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C, a charity version for Stand Up to Cancer that has featured celebrity contestants like James McAvoy, Teri Hatcher, Daisy Ridley and Richard Dreyfuss. The Great British Baking Show has run for eleven seasons so far but departed the BBC following season 7 for rival Channel 4.
A big part of the show's success following its BBC debut was The Great British Baking Show hosts Mel and Sue, and judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. In particular, the chemistry and innuendos - including Berry's ever present "Soggy bottoms" - made the latter duo extremely endearing and popular with viewers. However, when it was announced the series was heading to Channel 4, Mary Berry revealed she wouldn't be making the transition.
Berry later revealed this was due to loyalty to the BBC, as they greenlit The Great British Baking Show and nurtured it in its early years. She also revealed that while she probably could have gotten a much bigger cheque if she had entered negotiations, she never actually met with Channel 4 to discuss coming back. Mel and Sue also decided to stay with the BBC, leaving Paul Hollywood the only one out of the original Great British Baking Show gang to stick with the show during the Channel 4 move.
The Great British Baking Show on Channel 4 was hosted by Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig when it arrived on the channel in 2017, but the latter exited the show following season 10 and was replaced by Matt Lucas (Polar). Prue Leith replaced Mary Berry as a judge on the series and has retained the position ever since. Berry has been keeping busy since leaving The Great British Baking Show, including fronting series like Mary Berry's Simple Comforts and Celebrity Best Home Cook.