Mary Berry thanks her son 'in heaven' as original Bake Off stars Mel and Sue reunite for emotional BAFTA tribute

Dame Mary Berry was presented with the BAFTA Fellowship at Sunday night’s BAFTA TV awards, joining an esteemed list of previous fellows including Elizabeth Taylor, Judi Dench and Laurence Olivier.

Introducing Mary and presenting her with the award, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins made it a Great British Bake Off reunion, speaking about 'instantly falling in love with Bez' (a nickname no one saw coming, perhaps) and describing her as having 'grit, humanity, grace and twinkle'.

While the cooking icon described herself as 'immensely honoured' to be receiving such an accolade, it was her sweet speech dedicated to her family and her son 'who is in heaven' that left viewers with a lump in their throat.

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In her speech, Mary said, 'I see myself as a teacher, and television is the biggest and best classroom that there is.'

Leaving audience members, including Claudia Winkleman, looking visibly moved, Mary made a personal thanks to to her family, including her son who died in a car accident in 1989, aged 19.

She said, 'To my husband Paul, who is now 94, he has always supported me and is watching at home.

'To our children, Thomas, William and Annabel - William is in heaven, but I thank him.'

After first introducing her to the stage, Mary joked about 'dear friends' Mel and Sue 'scrubbing up well' and having 'led me astray from day one'.

Mel and Sue were the original hosts of The Great British Bake Off when it first premiered in 2010 on BBC Two. Proving it was the little show that could, Bake Off would, of course, become a national institution.

As well as getting people in love with baking, it introduced a whole new legion of fans to the legendary Dame Mary Berry.

After six years on the BBC, Channel 4 bought the rights to the show - and this change led to a changing of the guard, with Mel, Sue and Mary exiting the series, leaving only Paul Hollywood as the original cast member to continue the legacy.

Mary - who brought elegant glamour in her pale blush ensemble - also used her speech to pay tribute to those who had helped her on her road to becoming the national treasure she is.

'I'm a cook. I'm a teacher... Television wasn’t a part of my childhood. We had our first black-and-white TV when I was 10. One channel: the BBC of course, and it’s been my home for so many of my TV adventures over the years.

'It is the broadcaster that we must cherish. Bake Off came along, and my whole world changed.'

Speaking on the red carpet before the ceremony, Mary described herself as being "very honoured" to be given the accolade.

She said of the fellowship, 'I always think about directors and actors and actresses getting it, so as a cook, I feel very honoured.

'I started off on Collector’s World, in Bristol. I had to make cow’s udder pie and all sorts of Victorian dishes and I didn’t really enjoy that and I moved onto other things. In Bake Off I wanted to get everyone baking and cooking and I think I was quite kind.'