- Have YOU got a story? Email: tips@dailymail.co.uk
Dame Mary Berry has revealed the tragic reason why she has stayed so slim.
The former Great British Bake Off‘s 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.
‘We lost a son, and after that we lost weight and I have stayed that way,’ she explains at The Oldie magazine lunch at the National Liberal Club.
During the conversation, Dame Mary also offered her thoughts on weight-loss drugs, saying: ‘I am rather amused by all these things you can have done with injections.’
However, she did reveal she does consider what she eats, adding: ‘I am pretty careful and really enjoy my food. I have learned – no second helpings.’
Dame Mary’s sad admission comes after she revealed not a day goes by where she doesn’t think of her late son.
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)
The accident happened while William was visiting home from Bristol University in 1989. Mary counted herself lucky as she had two other children to look after when it happened.
Speaking to Radio Times, she said: ‘I think of William every day. Of course I do. And if he were to walk through that door over there, I would say, “Where the hell have you been?”
‘I’m still very proud of him. I think of the joy he gave us. He was a lovely child but you have to step back and think – I had wonderful parents, I’ve got two more children, Annabel and Tom, and my grandchildren.’
Mary has been married to her husband Paul Hunnings, 93, since 1966 and believes the secret to their long and happy union is never arguing.
‘If any disagreements come up, I open the back door and just go out and maybe pick some flowers or get some apples. It’s amazing if you can walk away,’ she said.
In December last year, Mary spoke about her late son William’s car accident on the Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth podcast, revealing her daughter Annabel was also in the car.
Recalling the tragic day, she said: ‘He asked if he could borrow a sports car, which he was insured for, and I said “You ask your dad”.
‘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)
‘Anyway, he took his sister with him, and he just drove too fast, which was so unlike him.’
‘William was the one that you could rely on. When the phone rang after he was killed, everybody said “I’m so sorry to hear about Thomas”, because Thomas was our wild one.
‘I knew when the policemen came through the door. I remember saying to him “It must be an awful thing for you to tell us all”.’
‘It was a huge sadness but there was a bonus because Annabel – we had to go down to Wycombe hospital – they didn’t tell us then because the policemen didn’t know, so we went down.
‘And I can remember being in the corridor and I suddenly saw Annabel, in a pink tracksuit, running up towards me, and I thought “I’ve still got her”.’
Revealing how she coped, she said: ‘I was immensely lucky to have my husband. I have other friends who’ve had tragedies and the husband and wife argue, or don’t comfort each other.
‘We just felt fortunate to still have Thomas and Annabel. People were very, very kind.
‘We had 400 letters. I replied to them over the months. It’s sometimes quite nice when you’re thinking to pick out one, of people giving a little story about him (William).
‘We just had to keep busy. I didn’t want to face going back to my work in London.’