After their portraits have been taken, Paul and Mary settle beside each other on Mel and Sue’s vacated sofa, and Paul takes out his phone. Mary, with a cup of tea and a hot water bottle, fills the silence with polite small talk, while he scrolls intently. It’s clear their relationship is most similar to that of a stubborn son and his long suffering mother. She smoothly distracts from his distraction, asking how my journey was, whether I was warm enough. Another pause. “When you’re ready, Paul,” somebody nudges.

How has your relationship evolved?

Mary We have no rehearsal, we don’t say what we’re going to do, we just get up there and it naturally comes.

Paul I’m the yin to your yang. It just works. You can’t kid a relationship like this – it’s not an act. I’m probably the only one in the country who can get away with ribbing Mary like this.

Do you socialise off camera?

Paul I used to stay over a lot. Mary cooks a great breakfast.

Mary Usually when I go home it’s all about the family. I go to the school plays, to the lacrosse.

Don’t you get mobbed?

Mary It has huge advantages. The other day the ticket collector came along and asked me to sign a picture. I’ve never had anything nasty. Usually they just ask if Paul’s eyes are really that blue. We are a team, all four of us. We work as one.

Paul A slightly dysfunctional family.

Mary When it was Eurovision, we got texts from Mel to say, “8pm in my room, white towelling dressing gowns will be worn.”

And then the photo you tweeted was in the papers the next day. How do you feel about that being news?

Paul That people need to get a life?

Mary Well, it cheered up the Eurovision song contest, didn’t it?

How do you feel about the term national treasure?

Mary It just means people are kind. I say honestly what I think but I try and encourage people to do better. I don’t want them to cry.

Is there ever pressure to make them cry?

Mary No. The BBC have never said it would be very nice if the young girl was in the final, or anything like that. They come over when we’re at the table, and say that it is absolutely our decision. Mel and Sue have nothing to do but stir. We decide.

Do you have a say when picking contestants?

Paul No, we don’t see them until they walk in the tent.

When Bake Off started, the big chef shows were the fashion, but this seems to have eclipsed the celebrity programmes …

Paul We have 12 stars, rather than one.

Do you really believe the contestants are the stars?

Paul Absolutely. Look at their Twitter accounts!

Why do they want to be on telly?

Paul To be famous.

Really?

Paul No, of course not. It’s about the challenge. To push themselves. Where’s your benchmark? You want to be the best. It takes a certain type of person. A strong person. Confident. You have to be a pretty good baker as well.

Mary Over the years, the bakers have really changed. Now they’re savvy, and they know what’s expected of them. The standard has gone up. Paul and I are trying to get it back to basics.

Paul The only reason it’s getting better is that it’s going out to a wider audience. It’s not rocket science. The first series we got 3.5 million viewers, last series we got 13.5. So the average quality of baker will be higher.

Equally then, won’t you get people applying for different reasons?

Mary Yes, but they won’t get on!

How’s fame for you, Paul?

Paul Opens a few doors, closes some others.

Do you Google yourself?

Mary I am not great at computers. If I were to try shopping through Google I’d end up with 33 vests.

Paul I don’t, no. I have plenty of friends to do that for me.

Can you still go to the supermarket in peace?

Paul Sometimes people will come up to you and say, “Love your baps!” You get used to people knowing who you are. That’s not a hardship.

Mary A touch on the shoulder, a nice comment about the show. It has no disadvantages. Unless one is speeding up the motorway, perhaps.

So what happens next?

Paul It has to plateau at some point, but it hasn’t yet. It’ll find a level. We don’t promote it to death, we just work in a tent, judging bread.

What’s your fantasy showstopper?

Mary I’d love to see them make a wedding cake, but unless they can cook on one day and finish it on the next, it’s not likely.

Paul A three-tier cake – top would be cream and meringue, middle would be lemon drizzle, and bottom bakewell tart. And a pot of tea. Job done.

The Great British Bake Off returns to BBC1 in August