All posts tagged: Nigella

Dame Prue Leith reveals true feelings on Nigella Lawson joining Great British Bake Off

Dame Prue Leith reveals true feelings on Nigella Lawson joining Great British Bake Off

Dame Prue Leith doesn’t think Great British Bake Off producers could have found a “better” replacement than Nigella Lawson. The 86-year-old star announced in January that she was stepping down as Paul Hollywood’s fellow judge on the Channel 4 baking competition, and food writer Nigella, 66, will be taking over inside the iconic tent. Reflecting on the decision, Dame Prue told HELLO! magazine: “I don’t think they could have chosen a better person. I don’t know her well, but what I know of her is all good.” Dame Prue previously insisted while Nigella will “be very different” as a judge, she is backing her to be a success. She told the Daily Star newspaper: “But she’s a class act, she really knows what she’s doing. “She knows her onions – people will expect her to know about cake, which she certainly does, but what they won’t expect is how clever she is, how sharp, witty – she’s really erudite. “She’s a fantastically clever woman.” However, she insisted Paul Hollywood could easily have continued as a …

Prue Leith shares advice for ‘frightened’ Nigella Lawson ahead of Great British Bake Off debut

Prue Leith shares advice for ‘frightened’ Nigella Lawson ahead of Great British Bake Off debut

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Dame Prue Leith has some words of wisdom for Nigella Lawson as she prepares to join Great British Bake Off as the show’s new judge. It was announced in January that the celebrity chef will succeed Leith for the next series of the popular baking competition. Leith announced she would be stepping down from the post she has held for nine years, a role she took over from Dame Mary Berry in 2017, the same year the show moved over from the BBC to its new home on Channel 4. “It’s daunting to be following in the footsteps” of both Leith and Berry, said Lawson last month. Asked in a new interview with The Telegraph whether she has any tips for her successor, Leith replied simply: “Just enjoy it, because you’ll never have a nicer job.” Another tip, she added, is …

Dame Prue Leith shares advice for new Bake Off host Nigella Lawson and why she really decided to leave beloved show

Dame Prue Leith shares advice for new Bake Off host Nigella Lawson and why she really decided to leave beloved show

Dame Prue Leith has shared her advice for the new host of the Great British Bake Off, Nigella Lawson. The 86-year-old joined Paul Hollywood as a judge on the beloved baking show for nine years, joining the programme in 2017 when it moved from the BBC to Channel 4. © Instagram / @britishbakeoffPrue was on the GBBO for nine years Now, in a new interview with the Telegraph, Prue has revealed her advice for Nigella as she passes over the baton.  She told the publication when asked what her pearls of wisdom are: “Just enjoy it, because you’ll never have a nicer job.” Nigella Lawson is the new judge Prue’s shock decision During the conversation, Prue also shed more light on her reasons for departing the show, explaining that she didn’t want to “overstay her welcome” and came after “dithering” on the idea for two years. Prue said: “I’ve never wanted to overstay my welcome in anything. Just like you don’t want to stay too long at a dinner party, I think it’s important to …

Nigella Lawson says Great British Bake Off shuns TV “bullying”

Nigella Lawson says Great British Bake Off shuns TV “bullying”

Earlier this year Channel 4 confirmed that Nigella Lawson would be heading into The Great British Bake Off tent as she takes the reins from Prue Leith, who left her role as judge. The celebrity chef has been forthcoming in her excitement about taking over as judge though admits it’s “daunting to be following in the footsteps of Prue Leith and Mary Berry”, but despite this she will be facing the challenge head on. At a recent Channel 4 event, Lawson said of her new role: “I’m looking forward to being part of the gang. I’m so excited, [but] I’m daunted – I bake a lot and I’ve written a lot about baking, but I’m a ramshackle kind of a baker… I’m going to be thinking, ‘My God, why am I judging them?’” The Great British Bake Off has been on air for over 15 years and remains a staple of annual British television. Indeed, with a brand new judge in the mix as well as a new format introduced, the cosy TV show is …

Why Nigella Lawson won’t be hosting Celebrity Bake Off

Why Nigella Lawson won’t be hosting Celebrity Bake Off

In January, it was announced that legendary food writer and TV cook, Nigella Lawson, would be taking over from Prue Leith as the new judge on The Great British Bake Off. And yet, as the start date and line-up for this year’s for Channel 4’s Celebrity Bake Off has been announced, eagle-eyed fans noticed a very key gap in the show’s panel. That’s right – Nigella isn’t going to be hosting the annual charity edition. Here’s why. Why Nigella Lawson isn’t hosting Celebrity Bake Off 2026 Alison Hammond, Noel Fielding, Paul Hollywood, and Cherish Finden – The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C. (Channel 4/Laura Palmer) Each year, Channel 4 airs a celebrity edition of Bake Off – the proceeds of which go to Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), a fundraising campaign that supports cancer research and the development of tests and treatments. Among the stars in the 2026 line-up are Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague, One Day actor Ambika Mod, and I’m A Celeb’s Sam Thompson. Even US singer and internet personality Jojo Siwa has …

Mary Berry delivers her verdict on Nigella Lawson joining GBBO

Mary Berry delivers her verdict on Nigella Lawson joining GBBO

Former Great British Bake Off judge Dame Mary Berry has shared her verdict on Nigella Lawson joining the cast of the Channel 4 show. Berry served as a judge on the beloved baking competition, alongside baker Paul Hollywood, from the show’s inception on the BBC in 2010 until 2016. When it made the switch to Channel 4 in 2017, Berry announced her departure alongside the show’s presenters, comedy duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig were then brought in as new co-hosts, while South African-British restaurateur Dame Prue Leith stepped up as the second judge to fill Berry’s position. Toksvig later departed and was replaced by Matt Lucas, who Alison Hammond subsequently replaced. Now it has been announced that iconic TV chef Nigella Lawson will be taking over from Leith as she departs the show after nearly a decade. Speaking at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, Berry shared her verdict on Lawson becoming a judge on the cosy cooking show, declaring that she was “delighted” by the news. Mary Berry …

Meet Nigella Lawson’s two grown-up children she’s ‘very protective of’

Meet Nigella Lawson’s two grown-up children she’s ‘very protective of’

Nigella Lawson is the talk of the town after she was announced as Prue Leith‘s replacement on The Great British Bake Off on Monday. But behind the scenes, the TV chef, 66, has been busy raising her two children, who are now fully grown adults.  The Nigellissima star shares Cosima Thomasina, 32, and Bruno Paul, 29, with her late husband, John Diamond, who died from throat cancer in 2001. While Nigella has built a life in the spotlight, having risen to fame with her debut cookbook, How To Eat, before fronting Channel 4’s Nigella Bites in 1999, her children enjoy life away from public view.  © Getty ImagesNigella is a proud mother of two In a 2019 interview with Australian Women’s Weekly, Nigella explained: “I’m very protective of my children because they don’t want attention, it’s not their thing, and they didn’t choose this life.” Nigella’s perspective on raising kids with money Though her children don’t make public appearances with their mother, the Nigella Express star has spoken about them in interviews. In 2008, while married …

Nigella Lawson joins “Great British Bake Off” as newest judge

Nigella Lawson joins “Great British Bake Off” as newest judge

Nigella Lawson has officially been announced as the newest judge on “Great British Bake Off.” After days of speculation, the popular British baking show posted an announcement to their social channels confirming that Lawson will replace Prue Leith, who she would be leaving the show after nine years last week. Lawson started her career as a book and restaurant critic at The Sunday Times in the 80s, before publishing her first cookbook, “How To Eat” in 1998, followed by her second best-seller “How to Be a Domestic Goddess.” She then started her first solo series, “Nigella Bites” in 1999 and has been a fixture on food television ever since. With her status as a gay icon and reputation for zingy innuendo, Lawson is certain to bring some spice and new life into a tent that some fans argue was starting to look a little deflated. Hundreds of commenters have already flooded the “r/CasualUK”  Reddit thread, speculating on what Lawson might say on the show and how she’ll interact with her co-judge, Paul Hollywood, and hosts …

‘Giddily grateful’ Nigella Lawson confirmed as new Great British Bake Off judge

‘Giddily grateful’ Nigella Lawson confirmed as new Great British Bake Off judge

Nigella Lawson has been confirmed as Dame Prue Leith’s replacement on The Great British Bake Off, less than a week after the news of the fan favourite judge’s departure was announced. “I’m uncharacteristically rather lost for words right now! Of course it’s daunting to be following in the footsteps of Prue Leith and Mary Berry before her, great dames both, but I’m also bubbling with excitement,” Nigella gushed about joining as the new judge.  The announcement comes as little surprise since Nigella was already being hotly tipped to join Paul Hollywood following Prue’s decision to depart after a nine-year stint on the Channel 4 baking programme.  The Sun initially reported that the TV chef was in the final stages of discussions, claiming producers hoped her “cheeky banter” would liven up the popular series.  Nigella says it’s a ‘huge honour’ Nigella is joining some big names in the Bake Off family. Food writer and chef Dame Mary Berry was a judge for seven seasons from 2010 up until 2016 when she handed over the role to Prue. Nigella …

Nigella Lawson confirmed as new Great British Bake Off judge

Nigella Lawson confirmed as new Great British Bake Off judge

Nigella Lawson has officially been unveiled as a new judge on The Great British Bake Off. The world-renowned chef and TV icon said in a statement that she is “bubbling with excitement” to be joining the series. She will be stepping into the shoes of Dame Prue Leith, who announced her departure from the series last week after almost a decade as a judge on the show, and will be joining hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. In a statement, Lawson said she was “uncharacteristically rather lost for words right now!” She continued: “Of course it’s daunting to be following in the footsteps of Prue Leith and Mary Berry before her, great dames both, but I’m also bubbling with excitement. The Great British Bake Off is more than a television programme, it’s a National Treasure – and it’s a huge honour to be entrusted with it. I’m just thrilled to be joining the team and all the new bakers to come, I wish the marvellous Prue all the best, and am giddily grateful for the …