Everyone who knows Mel Giedroyc knows she is one funny woman. Whether through her hilarious work with comedy partner Sue Perkins, her star turn presenting The Great British Bake Off or her most-recent appearance on Amazon Prime's Last One Laughing, she doesn’t stop making people giggle.
However, even the funniest of people have their down times, and following the death of her mother Rosemary in 2024 Mel, 58, had to try something new to get her out of her sadness. And for her, it was walking with her husband Ben which she credits with helping her grieve.
The comedy star reveals Bake Off isn't on her watch-list - and never has been
Speaking in the October issue of woman&home, Mel said, “Walking was brilliant for the grieving process. After Mum died, my husband and I did a seven-day-er between Bologna and Florence.
“He walked patiently alongside me, nodding, occasionally laughing, occasionally saying something, and I just cried and chatted away. If anyone reading this is going through a loss, there’s something about walking. I’m obsessed. I’ve even got walking sticks. When I opened them at Christmas, I thought, ‘Hang on, are you suggesting I’m somehow middle-aged?’ I’ve not used them yet!”
But not every walking trip for Mel is one that is to deal with sadness - and there have been some hilarious moments.
One in particular involves a certainly Holy man - who she ended up treating like he was "one of The Beatles".
“I bumped into the Pope during a four-day walking trip with a friend in Italy. We were south of Rome and came across him on the first night purely by chance,” she said.
“Apparently he goes into the countryside to ride his horse. He’d already got into his car but he rolled down the window and gave us a blessing. I was blubbering like a fool. I was actually screaming, running down the road after the car like he was one of The Beatles, but I now understand why people do that. I felt a powerful energy around him. He just looked really cool, really Zen, and exuded something very, very special.”
Walking helped Mel through some of her toughest times
This year marks a fresh start for Bake Off, the show which Mel left in 2016 after it moved from the BBC to Channel 4. Following the departure of Prue Leith, the iconic Nigella Lawson is taking over as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood.
However, for Mel, she admits she won’t be watching - as she actually never has, even when she was taking part.
“I don’t watch Bake Off and didn’t when I was in it either. That’s not out of any sense of annoyance that I’m not in it, or pique. I just find it quite hard to view shows that I’m in,” she said.
Mel once met the Pope while walking in Italy - with hilarious consequences
“It’s part of my life that’s gone, and sometimes it’s good just to enjoy it for what it was, close the door and say, ‘That was then and this is now.’ Paul [Hollywood] and I were texting the other day and I still see Mary [Berry] regularly.
“She’s a proper friend. Bake Off is a great format and they have kept it going absolutely brilliantly. I am so excited about Nigella [Lawson] joining. It’s a genius booking. Maybe I’ll start watching it just to see her and Paul together. Together, they’ll take it to another level.”
Mel’s second novel, The Comeback, is out now.
You can read Mel's full interview in the October 2026 issue of woman&home magazine - on sale Thursday 27th August. Subscribe to the magazine for £6 for 6 issues.