Bake off icon mary berry shares her mother's two secrets to living past 100

Former Great British Bake Off star Dame Mary Berry has credited her mother's exceptionally long life to two simple things. Dame Mary, herself now 90, reflected fondly on her late

mother, Margaret Berry, and the potential reasons behind her extraordinary longevity after reaching an impressive 105 years of age. In a heartfelt conversation on the Lessons From Our

Mothers podcast, the esteemed former Great British Bake Off judge shared insights into her mother's long life, saying: "I think she lived a long life because she was very positive.

And she had a very full life. She was always looking after people and caring." She went on to describe how her mother's compassionate spirit shone particularly during the festive

season, mentioning how they would invite a local nurse and an elderly woman from a nearby manor into their home for Christmas celebrations, stating: "We'd have Miss Clayton from

the manor next door who lived on her own and was old, they would come. So we'd have two hangers on at Christmas." Furthermore, Dame Mary spoke of her mother's natural need to

care for others: "And mum was always, you know, looking for someone who needed cherishing and looking after, which is part of life." Now a popular figure in the culinary world,

Dame Mary embarked on what would become a stellar career in the industry during her 20s. She honed her culinary skills at the revered Le Cordon Bleu in Paris during the 1960s, and upon

returning to the UK, her reputation began to rise as she made her television debut next to Judith Chalmers on their programme Afternoon Plus. While she has imparted her cooking wisdom on

several hit TV shows throughout her career, she is perhaps most famed for her stint on the Great British Bake Off, where she joined Paul Hollywood at the judging table to critique the

bakers' offerings. In 2017, it was announced that her seven-year stretch on the beloved baking show would be drawing to a close. Sharing insights into what led to her mother's

longevity, the esteemed former Great British Bake Off judge also told the Lessons From Our Mothers podcast how childhood Polio continues to influence her. Dame Mary recounted her battle with

Polio at age 13, discussing its enduring impact: "I was so lucky, it's only just down the left side. I've got a bit of a funny hand, but people think it's arthritis, but

it's polio. And I've got a bit of a curve in my spine." Recently, the baker graced the stage at the annual BAFTA TV awards ceremony, where she and Strictly's Claudia

Winkleman presented the award for Best Entertainment Programme.