Mary Berry’s heartbreak over late son as she says they'll 'reunite in afterlife' (2024)
Former Great British Bake Off host Mary Berry recalled her heartache over losing her son William at the age of 19 in 1989 and revealed how she celebrates his life years on from the fatal accident
Mary Berry is the nation's favourite TV host and baker but her cake-filled life goes beyond the kitchen and tragically, she was once left completely heartbroken over the tragic death of her son.
The 88-year-old foodie - who has written more than 80 books and become a household name after judging amateur bakes on The Great British Bake Off - lost her son William after he died in a car crash in 1989 aged just 19. In an interview with the Daily Mail, she recalled the tragic moment in her life when she had to tell her other son Thomas that his brother had died. She said: "I remember when we told Thomas that William had died. He said, “But Mum, we had so much to do.” That’s his sadness. It stays with you."
William, who was studying business studies at a university in Bristol, one day decided to go on a drive over the weekend but sadly the speed at which he drove around a bend had cost him his life. While his sister Annabel escaped unhurt, Mary was informed by the police that her son had passed away.
Previously during The Mary Berry Story, a BBC documentary about her life, Berry revealed her personal heartache and said: "It was a glorious January day and it was sort of 1 o'clock and he wasn't home. The doorbell rang and there was a policeman there, and immediately then I knew why. And he said, 'There's been an accident and I'm sorry to say your son is dead."
Years after the tragedy, Mary revealed the heartfelt way she celebrates her son's life. "Every occasion we can we drink to Will. And you wonder what would have been. I still think of him as 19. He would be 53 now. Who would he be?
She added: "Still, after all these years, his Bristol friends put flowers and notes at Penn church [the family lived in Penn, Buckinghamshire for over 40 years]. It’s lovely. I think he had an effect on his friends. I hope it made them drive more carefully." Berry also shared that her faith has kept her strong and takes comfort in the hope she will see William in the afterlife. She said: "‘Oh, yes! I think so. Absolutely. I hope so. There is a comfort in that."
Mary shared her son William with long-term partner Paul Hunnings. The couple who married in 1966 also have two other children together - Thomas born in 1968 and Annabel in 1972.
At the age of 13, Berry contracted polio and had to spend three months in the Claverton Down Isolation Hospital. Her illness resulted in her having a twisted spine, a weaker left hand and thinner left arm.
On a Saturday, Annabel's boys, Louis and Toby, always bake. Louis makes a chocolate cake, Toby makes banana or lemon drizzle. They're 12 and 10, and they can do it totally on their own. My son's twin girls, Abby and Grace, are 14; they make birthday cakes and like to do it on their own with Mum out of the way.
Mary's daughter Annabel Bosher, 45, is married to Dan and they live on a farm in Oxford shire, less than an hour's drive from Mary's home, with their three children: Louis, 12, Hobie, ten, and Atalanta, six. Mary started as a judge on The Great British Bake Off in 2010 alongside the baker Paul Hollywood.
Berry had been diagnosed with having two uteruses (a bicornuate uterus), but the idea that it might result in pregnancy difficulties never bothered her until she had a series of three miscarriages. She decided to see a specialist, choosing one working with multiple patients with bicornuate uteruses.
Of all the tragic things that have happened in Mary Berry's life, the one that has affected her most, is the death of her teen son, William, in January 1989. William, was home for a weekend visit from his university studies when it happened.
Mary Berry has been very open about her battle with Polio and how the disease has left its mark on her body. Since being in the spotlight, Berry has spoke of how many people confuse her condition with arthritis.
Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Mary Berry is worth $25 million these days. According to Cheat Sheet, Berry has gleaned roughly $112,000 per television series, which has certainly helped her amass her wealth in addition to her cookbooks.
It is well-documented that Mary is a practising Christian, like her late mother Margaret. A glimpse into her family tree reveals that religion has been passed down the generations. Mary's father Alleyne Berry was the son of a Norwich-born clergyman, Edward Arthur Berry (born 1871).
In 2019 she and her husband Paul downsized, moving to the nearby, and much coveted village of Henley-upon-Thames. But that wasn't the last she'd see of Watercroft. An involved seller, Mary regularly visited the family who bought it from her for cups of tea.
Yes, my mother was born in Scotland, and I love it there. We loved to visit family when I was young and a favuorite when our children were growing up too. We had a lot of Scottish traditions growing up and they have stayed in our family ever since.
For Berry, polio affected her left side, leaving her with a twisted spine and weaker and thinner arm and hand. But despite the long lasting damage to her body, Berry thinks of herself as “immensely fortunate”. She added: “I only had it on my left side and I've got a funny left hand. Everybody thinks I've got arthritis.
Mary Berry faced tragedy when her son William died in a car accident in 1989. Mary says it was her Christian faith that sustained her: 'William's death deepened my faith; without its support, I really would have struggled.
Berry suffered from the disease for three months, separated from her parents by a glass shield. "Everybody thinks I've got arthritis,” she recently told Radio Times. “I look a bit funny when I'm rolling pastry, but I have no other difficulties whatsoever.”
Mary left GBBO because the U.K. series switched networks. The show, which originally aired on BBC, decided to move to Channel 4 instead of sticking with BBC. Unhappy with the decision, Mary left the cast to show her loyalty to BBC.
Hobby: Flower arranging, Yo-yoing, Tai chi, Rowing, Macrame, Urban exploration, Knife making
Introduction: My name is Madonna Wisozk, I am a attractive, healthy, thoughtful, faithful, open, vivacious, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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