Dame Mary Berry admits 'I had to bite my lip' in candid Prince William confession

Former Great British Bake Off star Dame Mary Berry admitted "I had to bite my lip" when Prince William made a surprise appearance at her 90th birthday celebrations.

Dame Mary, who is regarded as one of the nation's culinary icons, saw celebrities and royals come together to mark her milestone birthday.

The baking icon turned 90 in March this year and she was honoured on The One Show. She was left visibly stunned when the heir to the throne appeared on screen to pass on his wishes.

She shared an honest look into what was going through her mind as His Royal Highness Prince of Wales appeared on screen. She told Saga magazine: "I had to bite my lip, because you feel, 'Oh my goodness gracious me!'

"I was totally overcome. I thought, 'I must hold myself together'."

Dame Mary also shared an insight into the time she has spent with the Prince of Wales, admitting that he's not afraid to let his competitive side come out: "I mean, to see Prince William on the screen saying that I had taught him all he knew about cooking... well! I've done quite a few things with him and gosh, he's competitive. So is Catherine."

During Dame Mary's special appearance on the BBC show, Prince William said: "Hi Mary, I want to wish you a very happy 90th birthday, you're a true national treasure and we've loved working with you over the years. Have a fantastic day today, I dread to think who's cooking your cake and the criticisms they might get, but good luck and I hope it goes really well."

The TV star's rise to fame all started in her twenties when she briefly swapped England for France when she began studying at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu school in Paris.

In 1975 when she was aged 40 she got her first big break in TV when she appeared alongside Judith Chalmers on Afternoon Plus.

Since then she has released a variety of cookery books, with a number of them reaching bestseller status after release. Meanwhile, in 2013, she also released her first memoir.

While she has made a whole host of TV appearances down the years, the one that she is undoubtedly best known for is the Great British Bake Off, which she hosted alongside fellow judge Paul Hollywood from 2010 until she departed the show in 2016.