For generations, Mary Berry has been synonymous with warmth, comfort and celebration. But behind the calm smile and gentle authority lies a grief that never truly faded.
At 90, the beloved baking icon has spoken with rare honesty about the tragedy that quietly reshaped her life — and her body.
Mary revealed that she and her husband, Paul Hunnings, were left devastated after losing their son William in a car accident in 1989. He was just 19. In the aftermath, she says, everything changed.
‘We lost a son, and after that we lost weight and I have stayed that way,’ she explains (pictured in 2015 with her husband of nearly 60 years, Paul Hunnings)
The star has been married to Paul for nearly 60 years and they share two other children Thomas, 57, (back) and Annabel, 55 (right)
“We lost a son,” she explained softly. “And after that, we lost weight — and I have stayed that way.”
The accident happened while William was home from university. Mary has since shared that not a single day passes without thinking of him. Despite the years, the loss remains ever-present — woven into the rhythm of her daily life.
Dame Mary Berry has revealed the tragic reason why she has stayed so slim (pictured 2025)
The former Great British Bake Off host, 90, and her husband, Paul Hunnings, were devastated after their son, William, died in a car crash in 1989 at the age of 19 (pictured with her three children; William, Annabel and Thomas)
Speaking candidly at a recent lunch event, Mary also reflected on modern attitudes toward weight loss, admitting she feels puzzled by the growing reliance on injections and quick fixes. While she does pay attention to what she eats, she insists there has never been a secret regime.
“I’m careful,” she said. “I enjoy my food. I’ve just learned — no second helpings.”
Mary credits her enduring marriage — nearly six decades long — as a source of strength through unimaginable pain. She and Paul, now in their 90s, made a conscious choice to avoid conflict and lean on one another rather than let grief divide them.
Friends say Mary’s resilience has always been rooted in gratitude — for the children she still has, the grandchildren who followed, and the life that continued even when her world shattered.
It’s a reminder that behind one of Britain’s most comforting public figures is a woman who learned to live with loss — and quietly carried it with grace.
