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Mary Berry to quit as judge of Great British Bake Off

LOS ANGELES — Mary Berry is quitting as a judge on The Great British Bake Off out of loyalty to the BBC, which lost the hit show to rival network Channel 4 in a bidding war earlier this month.

Mary Berry, one of the hosts of the 'Great British Bake Off', after she became a Commander of the British Empire, (CBE) awarded by Prince Charles at an Investiture ceremony in Windsor Castle. Photo: AFP

Mary Berry, one of the hosts of the 'Great British Bake Off', after she became a Commander of the British Empire, (CBE) awarded by Prince Charles at an Investiture ceremony in Windsor Castle. Photo: AFP

LOS ANGELES — Mary Berry is quitting as a judge on The Great British Bake Off out of loyalty to the BBC, which lost the hit show to rival network Channel 4 in a bidding war earlier this month.

Berry’s departure means that three of the programme’s four regular personalities — whose chemistry has been credited with turning the show into a ratings juggernaut — will not be sticking with the series after it wraps up its run on the BBC.

Hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc said they would leave the show at the end of this season almost immediately following Channel 4’s announcement that it had poached the show from the BBC.

Meanwhile, fellow judge Paul Hollywood has chose to remain with the series, signing a three-year deal with Channel 4, reported British media.

“My decision to stay with the BBC is out of loyalty to them, as they have nurtured me, and the show, that was a unique and brilliant format from day one,” Berry said in a statement that was released by the BBC.

“I am just sad for the audience who may not be ready for change. I hope they understand my decision. I wish the programme, crew and future bakers every possible success, and I am so very sad not to be a part of it.”

Bake Off turned Berry into a household name following the cookery show’s launch in 2010. She said it had been a privilege and honour to be part of “seven years of magic in a tent” and credited Hollywood, Perkins and Giedroyc with providing her “so much joy and laughter.”

“Mary is an extraordinary woman, loved and adored by the British public, and the BBC is her natural home,” said Ms Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC content. “I’ve been very lucky to have had the pleasure of working with Mary over the last seven years, and I’m so pleased that relationship will continue. She is an inspiration to generations, a real icon and I can’t wait to cook up more unmissable shows with her in the future.”

Love Productions, which produces Bake Off, said in a statement that it respected Berry’s decision to quit.

“We are immensely grateful to her for all her work and for her recognition today that Love Productions had made a ‘unique and brilliant format from day one’ with Bake Off. The whole family, crew and team that made Bake Off for the BBC, and who will now make it just as brilliantly for (Channel 4), will miss her.”

The show drew a respectable audience of 2 million upon its launch in 2010 but steadily built into a ratings phenomenon. The Aug 24 opening episode of the current season, the show’s seventh, boasted an average audience of 10.4 million, the biggest ever for a Bake Off season opener. Last year’s debut show drew an average 9.3 million.

At peak moments, the 2016 opener topped 11 million viewers — more than tuned in to the Rio Olympics in Britain at any one time.

Last season’s finale achieved an average of 13.4 million viewers, with peak viewing of 14.5 million, giving it the biggest UK television audience of the year. AGENCIES

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