TV legend helps daughter with ‘heartbreaking’ marriage split

The TV legend was a judge on the Great British Bake Off during the BBC years between 2010 and 2016, before it left for Channel 4.

She has lived in Henley, in the south of Oxfordshire, with her husband Paul Hunnings, since 2019, having previously lived in London.

Now, her daughter, Belles Berry, has opened up about her “heartbreaking” marriage split from her husband, Dan, of 24 years, in an interview with Hello Magazine.

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Blenheim Farm in Oxfordshire. (Image: Duncan MacBrayne / Savills)

Belles, who has worked in food for more than three decades and is the founder of The Great Taste Company, said the end of the relationship had been “devastating” but that her mother had been a constant source of support.

The couple had built a new life in Oxfordshire at Blenheim Farm, a striking single‑storey contemporary home near Ewelme, close to Wallingford.

Property listings describe Blenheim Farm as a high‑specification house completed in 2020, set in around ten acres with far‑reaching countryside views, open‑plan living space and extensive glazing.

The house is now on the market, signalling a fresh start for Belles following the split.

Selling up in Oxfordshire comes as she focuses on new projects, including promoting her cookbook Menolicious, which looks at how diet can support women through the menopause.

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Dame Mary Berry. (Image: Ian West / PA)

Belles has spoken publicly in recent years about using food to navigate midlife and about growing up with a mother who was already a household name for her baking.

She told Hello! that although the end of her marriage had been painful, she now felt stronger and more determined to move forward with her career and family life.

“When you get married, you think [you’ll be] together forever,” said Ms Berry, who has three children with Dan: Louis, 21, Hobie, 18, and Atalanta, 15.

“I really never thought this would happen. It’s heartbreaking. The grief can hit you like a tsunami, but I’ve learnt to ride the storm.

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Blenheim Farm in Oxfordshire. (Image: Duncan MacBrayne / Savills)

“There have been times when I’ve broken down, but I know I will come up again… it is just part of the grieving process.

“I’m getting stronger every day, ready to rebuild my life and learning to trust that the next chapter is going to be phenomenal.”

Hello added that her mother has been a “pillar of support” and that Ms Berry added that Dame Mary just wants her and the children to be happy.

Dame Mary continues to work regularly on television and in publishing and remains closely involved in her daughter’s life.