READER@S OPINION: '˜Mary Berry's fame is baffling'

The UK has turned into a nation of sobbers and whiners.

Where is the famed ‘stiff upper lip’ of us Brits?

Every facet of media/TV feature sportsmen, actors, singers and contestants in every genre shedding tears – no backbone.

Mary Berry’s two irritating sidekicks even resort to swearing (nothing new there) to deflect camera crews from filming it.

Berry’s fame is baffling – 15 cookery books produced and another in the oven and gullible Brits covet every one.

No wonder Mary looks so smug under her bucket of personal cosmetics.

As a leading chef said on TV, cookery shows and books are not for actual culinary exercises, not for human consumption, not for family delight, just for watching and, hopefully, enjoyment.

The pleasure is in the TV cook showing ‘the one made earlier’ – then us lot at home can activate the microwave and slide the cookery books back into the ever growing pile.

Meanwhile, Berry, Blanc and Jamie Oliver are laughing all the way to the bank.

I sussed out why in James Martin’s (admittedly excellent programme from France) that a cookery book is flashed on to our screens as the credits roll.

I can guarantee that when the series ends, the real remit behind the show is a cookery book – watch this space.

*This letter was submitted to The News by Jon Cole of Blount Road, Old Portsmouth