Escape to the Country star's 'hurtful comments' from men and tough misdiagnosis

18 November 2023 , 09:00

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Briony Williams is one of the presenters on Escape to the Country

Briony Williams had years of 'unkind experiences' with men before she became a TV star.

The Escape to the Country host first rose to fame as a semi-finalist on The Great British Bake Off in 2018, and has since gone into presenting. Briony was born with a left hand that stops at the wrist - which she calls her 'little hand' - and requested that it not be mentioned on the baking show as she didn't want to be labelled 'disabled'. Since Bake Off, she's become 'very proud of it', but used to feel because of hurtful comments, mainly from men.

She also hosts Food Unwrapped on Channel 4 (Ricochet / Channel 4)

Opening up to the Loose Women panel in 2020, Briony said: "Growing up, my mum always told me that if I was gonna do something and I struggled, I just have to find my own way of doing it. That's how I've approached my whole life. I wanted to go on [Bake Off] and just be me. I didn't want the big label, the first disabled baker."

When Coleen Nolan asked if Briony had always been confident, she explained: "No. In my teenage years, everyone is self-conscious, but when I used to walk into a club I would get my best friend to hold my hand as we walked in. I'd always put my hands in my pocket and I had a lot of unkind experiences from guys growing up. Men more than anything. Women are generally more supportive."

The Bristolian mum-of-one added: "Since Bake Off, I'm not very proud of it and everything I've achieved." Speaking about the term 'disability', Briony went on: "'I've almost had to come to terms with that label. I never used growing up, it does have a lot of negative connotations. I think what I've tried to do is accept that word, own it, and say okay I am disabled but that doesn't make me any less able than lots of other people. Bake Off has given me this amazing platform, that has let me say 'It's okay to be different'."

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She first appeared on The Great British Bake Off in 2018 (WENN)

In an interview earlier this year, Briony opened up about how the show has changed her life and said she is enjoying presenting Escape to the Country and Food Unwrapped. "[Bake Off has] completely changed my life and I'm having the best time ever. I just feel like I'm riding the wave as long as it will take me, and grabbing every opportunity that comes my way. Because it's just great," she told the Express.

To the same publication, the TV chef opened up about the moment she fell in love with baking when she was going through a tough time. In 2013, Briony was forced to stay off work for a while as she wasn't feeling well, and doctors kept misdiagnosing her condition. "I only started like five years before I was on Bake Off. I'd baked when I was younger but actually properly baking I started in 2013," she said. "I was off work - I wasn't very well - and they kept misdiagnosing me. It wasn't anything serious, it was polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

"But, you know, it was making me feel very unwell. So, one of my colleagues at the school I was working at said, 'Why don't you try baking to keep your mind occupied?' I find it very therapeutic. I think it's very methodical, following recipes and then you get a nice, yummy baked good at the end of it. Having something that you produce after all your effort… I don't know it's something that helped keep me very calm."

Nia Dalton