Mary Berry - irritating?

I’ve ducked Kitty ?

I don't like cookery programmes and never bothered watching Bake Off. But I decided Mary Berry wasn't my kind of person when I saw an interview in which she made some very scathing remarks about feminism.

Meant to add, I like Masterchef (not Professionals) as I love seeing the mistakes! And did anyone see Nick Hewer on Bake Off last week? His attempt at profiteroles one of the funniest things I've seen for weeks.

There are too many cooks on TV now. Can't stand the aggressive Gordon Ramsay or self-loving James Martin. Can take or leave Mary B. and I watch Nigella more as a parody than a real cook. She's becoming a caricature.

I suppose TV cookery shows are cheap to make compared to dramas. No make up, costume, locations, scriptwriters or stars to pay.

I neither love nor hate MB but unless it's my imagination she seems to be rather pleased with herself lately. A lot of TV chefs make things, take a spoodful and then say, 'mmm lovely' as though they are congratulating themselves. Not really the done thing, surely?
Bake Off has certainly survived very nicely with the new line-up.

I quite like MBs recipes, like Delia's they always turn out well, though having said that sometimes Delia's cooking times are too long.
MB herself is a little too good to be true. Very sweet but with a steely core I think.
Got bored with Bake Off a few series ago but recently watched the celebrity version on Channel 4 and laughed till I cried at Rosaen (?) sifting icing sugar into the sink and Nick on last week's show making a pigs ear of choux pastry. I like Prue too, she's a lot more fun than Mary. Much prefer Sandi and Noel too. Just need to get rid of Hollywood and I might start watching in earnest again.

I couldn't bear her until she was on Bake Off, then my attitude changed completely and I thought she was lovely.

Old meg, humans are social animals & we all interpret& judge each other ( positively & negatively) through body language expressions ,tone of voice etc. A few of us have said MB reminds us of a negative experience , others see a positive. The problem is that we are committing fleeting thoughts to the written word,without ever having met the person we are referring to. So we are not using all the tools we have to arrive at a more rounded opinion, plus we are anonymous, which makes us less inhibited, plus she is in the public domain . It’s behaviour that occurs every single day whenever we meet someone we automatically form opinions which may or may not be accurate depending on our own experiences & memories. Unfortunately for a person who is famous, sites like GN & the media allows us to perhaps a bit bolder in our comments be they good or bad purely because we can & there in lies the danger that we can all fall foul of .Its a bit like not particularly taking to a new neighbor ,because sub consciously the remind us of someone or something negative or positive that we exprerienced at some past stage in our lives.

There was a scene in one of Mary Berry's programmes where she was baking for a family occasion.

The guests were all gathered in the garden and the children were helping to hand the food around. Her little DGD ran into the kitchen saying, 'That man who says he's your husband would like some more.'

Mary Berry replied, 'Do you mean Grandpa?'

Duck, kate.

I think Mary Berry knows perfectly well how to behave in a stately home situation unlike some presenters.

I remember Matt Baker asking the woman showing him round Dumfries House if he needed to take off his shoes.

Definitely Not Done. She looked really bemused.

Dear lord what a serious amount of vitriol this post is generating! As far as I'm concerned anyone in the entertainment 'meedya' is just projecting a personna to the public. So any comments - positive or negative - are not directed at the real person because we have no idea whatsoever of the real person, it would be a bit bonkers if we did.

I have some sympathy for Mary Berry as she is clearly married to someone she loves, but from what I gather he does b***er all at home. The type who can't look after himself if she is away. I suppose it was the era he was brought up in, but I can't stand useless men who leave it all to their wives and for the wives to put up with it.

Now I have opened up a completely new can of worms !

This thread has reminded me of yet another of my Mum's wisdom filled ditties. 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'.

I don't watch her tv programmes much but she is a product of her age and class, nobody can knock her for not working. I agree the stately home programmes were odd to say the least. O'h and some of her cakes are great but really I mustn't!

I wouldn't mind being so energetic and high earning at 54! A bit fatter though.

I am not so easily irritated and Mary Berry is a competent cook. However I was embarrassed by her efforts to blend in with the toffs in stately homes. Her glittering dress for a dinner party was inappropriate, considering the hostess was wearing a cardigan. Ditto her shootin' and fishin' outfit when in the field. I wouldn't mind being so energetic and high earning at 83!

Someone once described Mary Berry as Margaret Thatcher's nicer, prettier, younger sister. Probably a bit unfair. I admire anyone who works hard and has a successful career in her eighties.

I don't believe its a cop out.
Nobody has wished anything awful onto anyone, nobody has been scathing about her health or private life.
Somebody merely said she finds her irritating.

Not a simple comment. You’ve opened the door to more than that kitty

That’s a cop out MissA as the majority of these kinds of threads are about women, successful women. It’s like a man suddenly spouting that men are victims of domestic abuse too.

It’s not whether the person cares about your view either (and she may well be hurt by some of the remarks on here, you don’t know that).

The point about GN members exchanging some strong views is that they are here by choice and have the opportunity to defend themselves.

As I said above oldmeg - her attitude on TV is irritating.

There are also men I dislike but this thread happens to be about Mary Berry because she was irritating me at the time!

It is not to do with gender, looks, success, figure, lifestyle or anything else. I do not have any hidden venom and whole I might envy her house etc, I am not jealous.

It is going to far to suggest all the above because of a simple comment on a TV personality.

I was determined to dislike the new Pilgrimage series with Debbie McGee taking part [not because of her but I'd always wanted to walk it myself and I didn't really want it on national television] but I must admit to enjoying what I've seen so far and really liking Debbie. She said her way of coping with grief was to 'keep busy'. I met Miriam Stoppard soon after one of the Marigold Hotel programmes but, not having warmed to her in the series, found that, in real life, she was lovely and, when I googled her afterwards I realised that all of my preconceptions about her were wrong [thought she'd been born rich etc ].

I'm quite happy to have a go at men too..
As I've said, I have seen far more unpleasant things directed at gransnet members at various times.
I don't feel Mary Berry particularly cares what my opinion is of her. (Too thin)
I'm sure she'd consider me too fat if we met.

PS apologies for the split infinitive!