London - Fans of Mary Berry were reduced to tears as she shared with them the way she remembers the child she lost.
The Great British Bake Off star’s 19-year son William was killed in a car crash in 1989. But each Easter his mother ensures he is remembered.
In BBC2’s Mary Berry’s Easter Feast, the 80-year-old cook is shown taking her family to William’s grave.
She is seen leading members of her family – her husband Paul, daughter Annabel and three of her grandchildren – in a procession to pay respects at his headstone.
As a basket of primroses is placed down, her voice over said: “For me, the lead up to Easter is a time full of happy memories, from Easter holidays as a child in bath to when my own children were young.
“But for our family it’s also a time of sadness when we remember our son William, 27 years ago, when he was just 19 years old.
“Every year we renew our family bonds together with our children and grandchildren.”
The emotional commentary on the show, the first of a two part series, seemed to become too much for some of the programme’s 2.8 million viewers. One person wrote online: “Sat here crying at Mary Berry’s Easter Feast”, while another added: “Crying at Mary Berry, she’s the sweetest kindest lady.”
The programme saw Miss Berry meet Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who lost his baby daughter, to talk about how they keep the memories of their children alive. Over a cup of tea at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop said: “When we get the family together, we’re always conscious that we have five children with us but there’s one who’s missing who’s not there.”
Archbishop Welby’s daughter Johanna died at seven months old in 1983.
Mary Berry’s Easter Feast saw her visit Christian communities from other cultures who are now living in the UK and learn some of their traditional recipes, including a Polish babka cake and Russian stuffed devilled eggs.
Daily Mail