Mary Berry on the Bake Off final: It's extremely close... you will be surprised

As the finalists battle it out for The Great British Bake Off title, in what has undoubtedly been another vintage series, judge Mary Berry predicts it will be the most closely fought yet.

Describing the final as the most exciting one she has ever overseen, she thinks the whole nation will be on tenterhooks as the contestants compete with each other to impress her and fellow judge Paul Hollywood with their last ever showstopper challenge.

And emotions will be riding high on the final night as she reveals none of the finalists make a mistake – unlike in previous years. Indeed Nancy Birtwhistle beat last year’s favourite Richard Burr to the post after he failed to impress in the final round.

Mary is cryptically coy about whether the winner will be the runaway favourite or not and seems to suggest viewers could be in for a shock. 

Smiling and looking relaxed, the 80-year-old says it is important to remember that it is she and Paul who have to make their decision on what the food tastes like. 

How a contestant has fared in previous weeks goes by the wayside, she says as a timely reminder.

“The final this year is extremely close,” explains Mary. “Usually there is a bit of a disaster but this time it is very exciting, because as a viewer you won’t know. You will be surprised. We are the ones that taste it, though. That’s all we have to remind our viewers.”

For Mary, the final show is one of her favourite parts of the series. She loves the fact the contestants have been whittled down and she has been able to get to know them a bit better on the Bake Off set. Both Mary and Paul don’t stay in the same hotel as the contestants, or socialise with them away from filming, but she says there is plenty of camaraderie on set. 

“I can certainly say the episode I least like is the first one,” Mary explains. 

“You don’t know the bakers and it is extremely hard. Towards the end, there are obviously fewer people. We warm to them and we are totally unbiased, as you know. But it is easier to judge when there are fewer people.”

Extremely proud that this year’s Bake Off series has proved to be another big success, thanks to some very difficult challenges and plenty of innuendoes from hosts Mel and Sue, Mary has been enjoying a well-earned rest since filming finished.

She went on a family holiday to celebrate her 80th birthday in August, which she enjoyed immensely, and she’s now gearing herself up for new work commitments. She’s releasing a book about cooking with an Aga this autumn and she will also be going out on the road with Paul to the BBC Good Food Shows.

The global fame that has come with Bake Off still takes Mary by surprise, she admits.

“I find it extraordinary they even did a puppet show involving us,” she chuckles. “Us as puppets. Whatever next? I was in the Canary Islands and someone tapped me on the shoulder to say hello.

Then, when I was in Scandinavia, someone told me they loved the English version more than their own. That is happening more and more. I absolutely still love doing this show. I have no burning ambitions and I can honestly say the thing I love most is Bake Off. That will always come first.”

And although she has no desire to go on Strictly Come Dancing, she cannot wait for Paul to do it one day. “He will go on and I will be watching him,” says Mary, laughing.

Mary and Paul have become good friends, and Mary talks in glowing terms about her fellow judge. “Paul always looks after me when we are away,” she says. “He is always there to keep an eye on me and I really appreciate it.”