The Tragic Death Of Mary Berry's Son

Mary Berry is an institution not just in her homeland of England, where she's known as The Queen of Baking, but also to those around the world who know her as the former host of "The Great British Bake Off." Offscreen, Berry is also known as a high-profile patron of Child Bereavement UK, a charity that offers support to parents who have lost a child, or for children who have lost a parent. Berry and the charity have a special but somber connection — in 1989, Berry lost her son William in a tragic car accident when he was just 19 years old.

As reported in Mirror, William had arrived home from his university the day before, and Berry was so excited to see him that she made a special dinner for the family. The next morning, William asked his parents if he could borrow their car. "I remember it well," Berry told Piers Morgan in a 2014 interview (via The Independent). "It was a Saturday and he nipped out to get The Times because it had a feature on Business Studies and that's what he was studying in Bristol. He went out with Annabel and it was a beautiful sunny morning," she said.

Recounting the day of her son's death, Mary Berry said that at about 1 p.m., she received a visitor and instantly knew something was wrong. "The doorbell rang and a policeman was there. Immediately, I knew why. He said, 'There's been an accident and I'm sorry to say your son is dead.'" Berry told Piers Morgan that she remembered hoping her daughter Annabel was alright.

Berry went on: "So Paul [Hunnings]" — Berry's husband — "came home and we went to the hospital and I can remember endless corridors and then all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I saw a pink tracksuit and Annabel running down the corridor." Berry described that Annabel had "Mud on her, but there she was, perfect." The mother recalled thinking at the time, "'We're very blessed that we've got Annabel and Thomas, but we don't have William.' We were lucky to have two other children. Imagine if you have one child and you lose it. I think it brought us all terribly close together."

While more than three decades have passed since Mary Berry lost her son William, it's clear that the beloved TV personality still misses him dearly. In a 2017 campaign for Child Bereavement UK, Berry was asked what she would do if she had one more minute with her son. In the ad, she shared, '"If I could have one more minute with William, what would I say to him? I would thank him for being a brilliant son" (via Good Housekeeping).

Berry has also shared advice for comforting grieving loved ones after a life-altering loss. In a December 2024 conversation with Daily Mail, the former host of "The Great British Bake Off" recommended contacting the bereaved a few weeks after the funeral to offer practical or moral support. According to Berry, supporters should look beyond formalities like attending the funeral, stating, "It's much more important three weeks afterwards to pop round with — maybe they don't like cooking — with something, and to keep communication with those who become very lonely." Fortunately, Berry has a great friend in her former co-host Paul Hollywood (who even bestowed Berry with the cute nickname "Bezza"). She also has the support of her surviving children Thomas and Annabel, as well as her beloved husband Paul, to whom Berry has been married since 1966.