{"id":774876,"date":"2026-09-18T16:26:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T16:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/774876\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T16:26:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T16:26:11","slug":"eating-is-my-superpower-nigella-turns-up-the-heat-on-bake-off-the-great-british-bake-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/774876\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Eating is my superpower\u2019: Nigella turns up the heat on Bake Off | The Great British Bake Off"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like the Cleopatra of cake, new Great British Bake Off judge Nigella Lawson reclines on a chaise longue throughout our interview, gently fanning herself. Fellow judge Paul Hollywood<\/a> chuckles from a nearby armchair. \u201cShe\u2019d sit like this between takes in the tent,\u201d he says indulgently. \u201cReading a book and sipping a coffee while someone fed her grapes.\u201d \u201cPeeled grapes,\u201d specifies\u00a0Lawson with a grin.<\/p>\n

After Prue Leith stepped down from soggy bottom-spotting duties in January \u2013 on the unarguable basis that \u201cI\u2019m 86, for goodness sake!\u201d \u2013 there was widespread jubilation when Lawson was announced as her replacement. The arrival of the domestic goddess has created serious buzz around Bake Off\u2019s upcoming series. A contest that was at risk of growing stale has become essential viewing again, thanks to the velvet-voiced, spatula-licking doyenne of culinary TV.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was lovely to see Nigella come into the tent,\u201d says Hollywood. \u201cWe\u2019ve only had two changes to the judging team in 16 years but it\u2019s worked really well. I\u2019ve always been a big fan and she fitted in beautifully \u2013 not just with me but with the whole team. She picked up the Bake Off vibe straight away. It\u00a0was pretty seamless, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Even Paul got the giggles!\u2019 \u2026 Paul Hollywood and Nigella Lawson in the Great British Bake Off. Photograph: Patch Dolan<\/p>\n

Her TV career was launched with Nigella Bites way back in 1999. Why\u00a0Bake Off, and why now? \u201cI wanted to do something a bit different,\u201d says Lawson. \u201cI\u2019ve written many books, which I adore, but it means spending a lot of time alone. I was keen to be part of something bigger, part of a team. When I was approached about Bake\u00a0Off, I instinctively thought: \u2018That would be lovely.\u2019 It almost feels too good to be true that you can enjoy something this much and\u00a0call it work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Predictably, there have been tabloid rumours that the judgely duo have been butting heads. Lawson allegedly said that Hollywood arriving on set at Welford Park in a helicopter was \u201ccringe\u201d, which is all the evidence gossipmongers need. Yet there\u2019s no sign of tension on screen, let alone today. Their conversation is full of good-natured ribbing and punctuated by peals of laughter. Hollywood seems enchanted by his new partner-in-cake, while Lawson is endearingly self-effacing, all too aware that she\u2019s joining a long-running hit and simply doesn\u2019t want to \u201cstuff it up\u201d.<\/p>\n

Before her appointment was confirmed, the pair had an unofficial chemistry test at a Channel 4 event. \u201cWe chatted for 10 minutes and had a great time, didn\u2019t we?\u201d recalls Lawson. \u201cI\u00a0knew\u00a0instantly it was going to work. It\u00a0surprised even us, I\u00a0think, how well we hit it off. It\u00a0was lucky that we did get on. Can you imagine\u00a0if we didn\u2019t? I\u00a0bet\u00a0Paul\u00a0would have said so!\u201d<\/p>\n

What does she like about the marquee\u2019s resident master baker? \u201cOne of the many lovely things about Paul is that he\u2019s good at being teased. I called him \u2018Professor Precision\u2019, then he teased me back and suddenly it all relaxed. He\u2019s much more playful than he looks on camera. He often acts bad cop and does that laser stare but he\u2019s always himself, which encourages other people to be themselves, too.\u00a0We complement each other. He\u00a0gets straight to\u00a0the point\u00a0and, as you can tell, I\u2019m\u00a0a\u00a0witterer. I love talking about food and sometimes can\u2019t stop. When I wittered on in the tent, I\u00a0did\u00a0see him go like this once\u00a0\u2026\u201d She mimes pretending to nod off. He shrugs unrepentantly.<\/p>\n

Once she was officially onboard, Lawson hosted separate bonding sessions with her co-stars. \u201cI decided to meet everyone properly before we started,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u00a0didn\u2019t want the first time we hung out together to be on set.\u201d Hollywood came first. \u201cI went for drinks at Nigella\u2019s house,\u201d he remembers. Oh, to be a fly on the wall. Was there food? \u201cSalami, olives, that kind of thing,\u201d says Lawson. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to bake for him. That would be madness.\u201d \u201cI was disappointed,\u201d deadpans Hollywood. \u201cI was hoping for a cake on a gingham altar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oven ready \u2026 (from left) Paul Hollywood, Alison Hammond, Nigella Lawson and Noel Fielding Photograph: Patch Dolan\/Channel 4<\/p>\n

\u201cPlay your cards right and you never know,\u201d she shoots back. \u201cNo, I wanted it to be as relaxed as possible. Paul brought a bottle of red wine and said: \u2018Do you want a glass?\u2019 I said, \u2018You\u2019ll have to open it yourself. I\u2019m wearing a white suit!\u2019 And we went from there.\u201d Next came co-hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond<\/a>. \u201cNoel came round for tea and I did make him a cake,\u201d Lawson confesses. \u201cOh, thanks very much,\u201d says\u00a0Hollywood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Noel,\u201d she continues. \u201cHe and I look like two ghouls first thing in the morning.\u201d \u201cTwo goths, climbing out of your coffins,\u201d laughs Hollywood. Lawson puts her pale forearm next to his teak-tanned one. \u201cLook! I have to be painted a bit brown, otherwise it\u2019d cause issues for the camera.\u201d And Hammond? \u201cI met Alison at This Morning and we went out to lunch. I hitched a ride to the restaurant in her car and we were practically married by the time we arrived. We have a real laugh together and talked about everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The love affair seems to be mutual. Fielding has compared her to \u201can Italian film star\u201d, while Hammond says: \u201cWe\u2019re obsessed.\u201d As they pose for photos, Hammond whispers: \u201cDoesn\u2019t Nigella look beautiful? She\u2019s a vision!\u201d \u201cStop it,\u201d scoffs Lawson modestly.<\/p>\n

When the casting call came, it wasn\u2019t an immediate yes. \u201cI was apprehensive at first,\u201d she admits. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure whether I was even qualified and mindful that it was a risk, both for me and the show. So I had a big meeting with the producers and said: \u2018Look, these are the things I can\u2019t do.\u2019 They said: \u2018That\u2019s OK, that\u2019s what Paul does.\u2019 I\u00a0didn\u2019t want them to go to the wrong shop, as it were. I\u2019m not a scientist, a technician or a professional baker but what I can do is talk about food, its taste, texture and why I like it. I said: \u2018If\u00a0you now decide you don\u2019t want me after all, I promise I won\u2019t be offended.\u2019 Happily they still did.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Hollywood previously formed partnerships with Dame Mary Berry and Dame Prue Leith. He refers to their successor in regal terms: \u201cI\u2019ve gone dame, dame, queen. I loved working with Mary. She\u2019s got a lot of bantz, has Bez. We made a good team with Mel and Sue. We\u2019d watch Eurovision, all sitting on the bed in dressing gowns. Prue and I would open a bottle of wine and put the world to rights. Nigella and I have done a very similar thing \u2013 not with wine but with a couple of dirty martinis or spicy margaritas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawson describes her judging style as \u201cpretty direct\u201d. \u201cI assumed I was going to be good cop but realised I just have to be honest. I can\u2019t pretend if I don\u2019t like something. Honesty can feel a bit brutal but you\u2019re not critiquing the person, you\u2019re critiquing the bake. It\u2019s not personal. We\u2019ve all got our own palate and can only speak subjectively.\u201d This double act have their own areas of expertise. \u201cI\u00a0talk about flavour because eating is my superpower. I\u2019m learning from Paul, though. I\u2019ll start stealing all his lines, going: \u2018This needs another three minutes, turn the oven up 20\u00a0degrees.\u2019 But on the whole, I talk taste and he talks technique. You\u2019ve got to play to your strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n

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As an avowed Bake Off superfan \u2013 she reels off a list of her favourite alumni, from series one winner Edd Kimber through to last year\u2019s Jasmine Mitchell \u2013 how was walking into the fabled tent for the first time? \u201cOh god, a bit overwhelming,\u201d she confesses. \u201cBut I held hands with Alison, which helped. It felt daunting but became cosy within about two minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, the climate crisis came for Bake Off. We\u2019re meeting on one of summer\u2019s most sweltering days, with temperatures hitting 35 degrees. Was it this hot in the tent during filming? \u201cHotter, like a greenhouse\u201d grimaces Lawson. \u201cPlus you\u2019ve got a mic pack on, which is like wearing a mini radiator. The bakers coped well, considering.\u201d Were there melting chocolate disasters? \u201cIt was more caramel that was the issue,\u201d says Hollywood. \u201cThere were some sticky moments.\u201d \u201cAnd that was just Paul,\u201d quips Lawson.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect mention of microwaves. Lawson went viral<\/a> in 2020 when she jokingly referred to her \u201cmeecro-wah-vay\u201d \u2013 a clip shortlisted as one of Bafta\u2019s TV moments of the year. It was a family in-joke and she\u2019s determined to resist saying it again, instead calling it \u201cthe you-know-what\u201d. Bake Off viewers, however, should listen out for a reference to \u201cdesecrated coconut\u201d.<\/p>\n

Line-up \u2026 (from left) Gabe, Nikki, Shannon, Danni, Mo, Clara, Tom, Molly, Yannis, Gary, Moyin, and Connie are the new contestants on the Great British Bake Off. Photograph: Patch Dolan\/Love Productions\/Channel 4<\/p>\n

Her predecessor Leith had a penchant for boozy bakes. Does Lawson have a similar sweet spot? \u201cIt\u2019s not a sweet one, actually,\u201d says Hollywood. \u201cNigella loves salt.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t mean over-salty,\u201d she says. \u201cJust that a pinch of salt can balance the sweetness. Similarly, I love anything citrus. A tang of sharp and bitter, rather than unadulterated sweetness. That\u2019s why having raspberries in a vanilla cake is nice. They all tease me, saying: \u2018Just add a tablespoon of salt and she\u2019ll like it.\u2019 I\u2019m landed with that now.\u201d \u201cSo much so that our WhatsApp group is called Salty Gang,\u201d says Hollywood. Who\u2019s the most active? \u201cNot us,\u201d says Lawson. \u201cIt\u2019s mostly Noel and Alison sending funny stuff. We just reply with laughing emojis, like old people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Nigella factor is likely to give Britain\u2019s biggest cookery show a ratings boost. \u201cShe\u2019s a breath of fresh air, for sure,\u201d says Hollywood. \u201cCertainly for my male mates. They\u2019ve told me they\u2019ll be tuning in for the first time in 16 bloody years!\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawson demurs. \u201cNot trying to be humble but it\u2019s not about me. I\u2019m joining a long-established, deeply loved show. Bake Off is a national treasure with a fabulous audience. It\u2019s been part of people\u2019s lives over many years. I wouldn\u2019t blame them if they thought: \u2018Oi, why is she coming on my programme?\u2019 As long as I don\u2019t actively drive people away, I\u2019ll be happy.\u201d Will the viewing figures include the new judge herself? \u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t like watching myself but I\u00a0do want to see it because there\u2019s an awful lot of action that we\u2019re not around for. I\u2019ll fast-forward through my bits and watch the bakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

During her first time in the tent, the new recruit had a hoot. \u201cWe sometimes did a bit too much rabbiting and got told to shush,\u201d says Lawson. \u201cWe had so much fun. Even Paul got the giggles. Alison once sent us out of the tent in disgrace. Paul\u2019s very good at remaining poker-faced and then when nobody else is looking, he makes faces at you.\u201d Has Hammond succeeded in her mission to get them all dancing? \u201cI cannot dance on camera, I told her that,\u201d says Lawson. \u201cAs judges, we need to retain a modicum of decorum and dignity \u2026 we try, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salty and sassy, it sounds like La\u00a0Lawson is in the tent to stay. \u201cBake Off\u2019s like Hotel California,\u201d says Hollywood. \u201cYou can check out any time you like but you can never leave. And I think Nigella\u2019s here for good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Great British Bake Off returns on Tuesday 22 September at 8pm on Channel 4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Like the Cleopatra of cake, new Great British Bake Off judge Nigella Lawson reclines on a chaise longue…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":774877,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[96,59,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-774876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-gb","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=774876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774876\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/774877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=774876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=774876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=774876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}