She's a national treasure and legend on and off screen, but Mary Berry shocked fans after revealing that she dated multiple men while she was also going out with her now-husband Paul Hunnings.
MORE: Piers Morgan forced to defend his health on Good Morning Britain
The cookbook writer joined Sue Perkins' An Hour or So With podcast back in October 2019, in which she admitted: "Paul was a friend of my brother's. And I met him and we sort of did things together."
Paul and Mary married in Bath in 1966
The cheeky star, 84, then added: "But I had another boyfriend in Bath, and he was in London and I used to go home at the weekend... Paul was the London one and I had a Bath one, actually there were several in Bath. You keep your options open."
On the podcast, the food writer also revealed that she wasn't the most well-behaved child at school, saying: "I was naughty. We had to walk to school and I would be looking in the garden, patting the dog and I would often arrive late. Homework was something that was left on the shelf, or didn't actually get home, or if it did, I would say 'No homework today.'"
MORE: This Morning's Phillip Schofield marks major career milestone
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple with their children Thomas and Annabel
Mary and Paul eventually went on to marry in 1966, but only after antique dealer Paul proposed three times. The couple welcomed children Thomas, Annabel and William, but William sadly passed away in a car crash at the age of 19. Back in 2017 for a special edition of her BBC show Mary Berry Everyday, the couple appeared together to talk about their 50 plus years of marriage.
"I do remember the first proposal and I think you were drunk," Mary told her husband. "Well I might have been," said Paul. "It's a big step. You don't go into something like that without a bit of fortification."
© Photo: Getty ImagesMary is a national treasure
Mary continued: "I think you had too much and I can remember telling you you were drunk and thinking 'I'm not going to have anything to do with this man.' But you came back." Eventually Mary accepted Paul's third request after he said to her, "'I'm getting on in age, so either it's yes or no."
The couple married at Charlcombe Church near her parents' home in Bath, where the bride was born. Mary revealed on the show that she actually wore a dress that cost her just five pounds! She also made her own cake, of course.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
