Mary Berry previously recalled getting arrested in the early Nineties after US customs officials thought she was 'drug trafficking'.
The former Great British Bake Off star, 89, was stopped by customs while travelling as they spotted the baking ingredients she packed into tiny bags in her suitcase. During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show six years ago, she opened up about the unfortunate incident.
Speaking to the presenter in 2018, she said: "I was arrested 25 years ago. I was going to the US to do some cookery demonstrations and was worried that there might be problems so I weighed out all the ingredients – flour, sugar – and put them all in little plastic bags." However, airport sniffer dogs were drawn to her bag and alerted the officials.
She added: "When I arrived at the airport the sniffer dogs made a beeline for me. Suddenly I was surrounded by uniformed people and my assistant and I were put in separate cells. It was alarming." Officers questioned whether she was making money from the non-existent drugs and she said: "I do and my fee has already been agreed."
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Dave Benett/Getty Images for Hor)Image:
Getty Images)Mary was a judge on the television programme The Great British Bake Off until 2016 when Prue Leith replaced her. After leaving she joined Britain's Best Home Cook. It comes after it was revealed the popular baking show is set to continue on Channel 4 for a couple more years.
It was previously reported that Netflix and other streaming giants were making bids to move Bake Off to a rival broadcaster. But the Mirror revealed that Netflix, who broadcast old series of the show around the world, did not have Bake Off top of their shopping list this year. Disney+ are also not thought to be in any active negotiations for the series, meaning initial reports may have been wide of the mark.
Conversations between showmakers Love Productions and Channel 4 have been "going well" for several weeks now. The most likely outcome is a new contract, expected to be for three years, which will be announced next month by Channel 4 and Love.
A TV source explained: "The current contract between Channel 4 and Love runs out at the end of this year and so it is normal for them to be negotiating on a deal now. There were some raised eyebrows at Channel 4 when reports suggested Bake Off could be moving in recent weeks, as they are in the middle of negotiations. But as far as bosses are concerned, they have all the ingredients they think are necessary for a brilliant partnership on the show, and it is something they want to continue. There is nothing confirmed, but the most likely outcome now is that Bake Off stays on Channel 4 beyond 2024, with both sides favouring a three-year deal at present."
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