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Great British Bake Off judges don’t want tears


Mary Berry says ‘The Great British Bake Off’ doesn’t want to make people cry.

The TV presenter insisted she and her co-star Paul Hollywood have shunned the cliches of other reality shows by trying to avoid coaxing tears from contestants.

She told the Daily Express newspaper’s Saturday magazine: "We try to avoid the tears.

"Other programmes encourage them but if we can see someone in trouble, we will tell the show’s presenters Mel [Giedroyc] and Sue [Perkins] and they can go and find out what’s happening.

"Mel and Sue play an immensely important part in the programme."

Meanwhile, Paul noted the competition for the upcoming series will be stronger than ever.

He said: "The quality and standard of the bakes this year is awesome. They get better and better.

"The whole pack have moved forward and the atmosphere is very different. They have really bonded.

"The competitive spirit is still there but this year’s competitors gee each other up more than I have ever seen before. It’s fantastic."

Mary agreed, explaining that the hopefuls were willing to learn.

She added: "The standard is mind-blowing."