Dame Mary Berry has said she is “immensely honoured” to be receiving the Bafta fellowship at the annual television awards.
The 91-year-old TV cook and former Great British Bake Off judge will receive the Academy’s highest honour for her exceptional television work.
Bafta, which bestows the fellowship as its highest individual accolade for “an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television”, lauded Dame Mary as “one of the UK’s most beloved broadcasters”.
Her career spans six decades, beginning in the 1970s, with her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off described as “nothing short of transformative”.
Speaking to Bafta red carpet host Roman Kemp as she arrived at the ceremony, she said of the fellowship: “I always think about directors and actors and actresses getting it, so as a cook, I feel very honoured.
“I’m immensely honoured to join those wonderful people who already won it, it’s amazing.”
Reflecting on her career in television, she said: “I started off on Collector’s World, in Bristol. I had to make cow’s udder pie and all sorts of Victorian dishes and I didn’t really enjoy that and I moved onto other things.
“In Bake off I wanted to get everyone baking and cooking and I think I was quite kind.”
Dame Mary will reunite with former Bake Off presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins at the event and she said: “I’m so excited. It makes me drop my shoulders and enjoy it, because we’ve done so much together and it’s always fun.”
Asked if she will be out late with them at the after party, Dame Mary said: “Maybe. We will see.”
The ceremony, which celebrates the best in British television, will see finance guru Martin Lewis presented with the special award for his TV work focused on helping the nation to change the way it thinks about money.
Adolescence is tipped to triumph at the ceremony following its headline-making year.
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The hit series, which prompted a national conversation about online safety, is up for a string of awards – including for best limited drama.
It already won two prizes at the Bafta craft awards last weekend for directing and sound.
Bafta chief executive Jane Millichip said it has been a “particularly strong year” for television.
Speaking to the Press Association ahead of the event at the Royal Festival Hall in London, she said: “This is the last awards of the season for Bafta, and it pretty much closes the awards season itself, so it always feels really celebratory.”
Ms Millichip praised the past year of TV as having “really stand-out water cooler moments”, adding: “Whether it’s comedy, entertainment or drama: Adolescence, Celebrity Traitors, Amandaland, Last One Laughing.
“They are all really powerful shows in their own right, and I think it’s an amazing platform for British talent.
“(The awards are) not only recognising great work and excellence, but also shine a light on that talent. Hopefully it will inspire the talents of the future.”
The ceremony will be hosted by Taskmaster star Greg Davies and will air on BBC One at 7pm.
