Nigella Lawson is bringing her signature charm and culinary expertise to The Great British Bake Off! The beloved TV chef has been announced as the new judge for the 17th series, taking over for Prue Leith, who stepped down after nine seasons to “spend summers enjoying my garden,” adding, “I’m 86 for goodness sake!”
Lawson will join longtime judge Paul Hollywood, who has been a staple of the baking competition since it debuted on BBC Two in 2010.
“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,” Lawson shared. “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.”
Leith added her endorsement, saying, “I’m thrilled that Nigella is to experience brilliant Bake Off. She’s sassy, fun and she knows her onions – and her croissants, cake and crumble.”
Although Lawson has been less present on UK screens in recent years, she hasn’t slowed down. Her last BBC One series, Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat, aired in 2020. She’s also appeared frequently on Australian television, including judging My Kitchen Rules in 2022 and 2023, and guest judging on MasterChef Australia.
Fans will remember Lawson’s earlier Channel 4 work, including Nigella Bites, and her judging stint on The Taste, where contestants prepared a single spoon of food for her, Anthony Bourdain, and French chef Ludo Lefebvre.
Lawson joins Bake Off at a time when ratings have dipped from the show’s peak. While the series once drew 10 million viewers on BBC One, its Channel 4 iteration hasn’t reached those heights. However, the 2025 season 16 premiere saw a boost of around 600,000 viewers from the previous year, totaling 7.26 million.
Channel 4’s Ian Katz expressed enthusiasm for the new pairing: “We’re incredibly excited about the marriage of two great British icons: Bake Off and Nigella … this summer’s series will be as mouthwatering a prospect as her chocolate Guinness cake.”
Born to Nigel Lawson, a British politician, and Vanessa Salmon, heiress to a tea company, Nigella grew up in London. She started her career as a literary editor at The Sunday Times before writing restaurant and book reviews for various publications. Her first food-focused book, How to Eat, was published in 1998 and kickstarted a prolific career that now includes 13 cookbooks.
The mother of two has also since hosted a slew of food shows, from Nigella Feasts and Nigella Express to guest appearances on MasterChef Australia and Iron Chef America.
