I love a good madeira cake. Nice and simple. The most important thing is that a cake is moist. Most people overcook cakes, which dries them out.

I admire my fellow judge Paul Hollywood enormously, though we often argue. He believes presentation and uniformity are paramount; I'm more interested in taste. I don't mind if one bun is smaller than the others, or if there's a little pastry cracking, though I don't want a soggy bottom.

I wasn't the brightest button in the class at school, but I enjoyed cooking and baking. I wasn't clever enough at Maths O-level to get onto the cookery teaching course I really wanted to do, so I did a catering course instead.

The only time I'll use a microwave is to warm up a cup of coffee I've left too long before drinking.

If you're feeling a little bit down, a bit of kneading helps.

When I was paralysed by polio at 13, I went into an isolation hospital and couldn't sit up, so I only took liquid food from spouted cups which the masked nurses would bring in and feed to me. I saw my parents only through glass; we couldn't touch.

Some of my fondest memories are holidays by the seaside.

Making your Christmas cake in September is perfect, as too fresh a cake crumbles when cut.

It's so comforting to have a small piece of cake. Just one slice.

I think baking is very rewarding, and if you follow a good recipe, you will get success.

Life is all about sharing. If we are good at something, pass it on. That is the pleasure I get from teaching - whether it is television or books. We should all share.

Cooking and baking is both physical and mental therapy.

I never met a man who worked harder than me.

Whether dealing with children or chefs, they are all giant babies in need of nurturing.

Restaurants should be democratic; you shouldn't be made to feel privileged for getting a table or being lectured by the waiter.

Cuisine Nouvelle was just a concept, and one which, crucially, the English managed to get wrong. I mean, if you run a restaurant, you've got to feed people, not make pretty little pictures on plates to make up for your lack of ability.

I just can't stand Tony Blair.

My grandfather, father, and uncle were chefs, and my other uncle was a butcher.

Buy locally where possible, but if you can't get the very best locally, don't buy locally. Buy it from where it is best.

Just because something is English does not necessarily mean it is good. We make the best cheddar; we make great pasties. But we can't make very good brie or baguettes - and the French can't make pork pies.

The French make the best wine.

Once you accept and understand yourself, you do things for the right reasons, not the wrong ones, rather than being fuelled by your insecurities.

I was brought up a working-class Tory. I believe, to be a true socialist, you have to be a capitalist first. In my heart, I'm a socialist; in my mind, I'm a capitalist.

There's something rather comforting about putting on an apron.