At last, a Bake Off and Downton Abbey crossover! Well, sort of. In this exclusive first clip of Mary Berry's Country House Secrets – a show that follows Berry delving into the nation’s greatest manors – we see the expert baker attending a social evening at Highclere Castle, the filming location of the historical ITV drama.
And she certainly gets into the Downton spirit during her house-exploring mission. “I feel just like Lady Mary!” Berry says in a sequinned dress as she prepares for her big night in.
She then steps downstairs into the main party room and is offered a mocktail or champagne flute. Bezza, being the national treasure that she is, picks up the latter and starts sipping, remarking, “to keep up my reputation!”
But, as much as we’d like to see it, viewers won’t just be watching Berry knocking back the champers. The TV baker will also aim to stray away from the well-trodden tourist paths and explore what it’s really like to live and work in Britain’s great houses. This means she’ll delve deep into the upkeep of each home she visits – if you ever wanted to see Mary Berry shear a sheep then now's your chance.
Why? Berry thinks this will give her the full flavour of the estate, serving as inspiration for a few special recipes celebrating the heritage of the house.
And she won’t just be doing this at Downton. As well as Highclere Castle, the series will explore Goodwood House in Sussex, Powderham Castle in Devon and the regal Scone Palace in Perthshire, Scotland.
Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets is on Wednesday 8pm, BBC1
