Great British Bake Off’s Mary Berry staying in UK

The Great British Bake Off queen Mary Berry has revealed she was not approached to appear in the US version of her hit show – but would not like to be dragged away from her family.

The cookery guru’s show is being taken across the Atlantic for a revamp after it became a surprise hit last year, and her colleague Paul Hollywood has already been signed up to appear.

Berry, 77, wished him well with the US transfer but said she had not been asked to take part.

“I’m not involved at all in the US. That’s Paul Hollywood and he’s out there right now doing it, and I’m sure he will be fantastic. He always is,” she said.

“I wasn’t asked, and I am very happy here in England doing The Great British Bake Off.

“I have a family, and I love being with them. I would hate to be away from them for five weeks.”

The TV presenter and food writer admitted she was taken aback by the success of the show, which was named best factual entertainment at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards in London yesterday.

She said: “I had no idea it was going to be such a hit.”