Paul Hollywood<\/strong><\/a>, who has been a staple of the baking competition since it debuted on BBC Two in 2010.<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019m uncharacteristically rather lost for words right now! Of course it\u2019s daunting to be following in the footsteps of Prue Leith and Mary Berry<\/strong> before her, great dames both, but I\u2019m also bubbling with excitement,\u201d Lawson shared. \u201cThe Great British Bake Off is more than a television programme, it\u2019s a national treasure \u2013 and it\u2019s a huge honour to be entrusted with it.\u201d<\/p>\nLeith added her endorsement, saying, \u201cI\u2019m thrilled that Nigella is to experience brilliant Bake Off. She\u2019s sassy, fun and she knows her onions \u2013 and her croissants, cake and crumble.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/blockquote>\nAlthough Lawson has been less present on UK screens in recent years, she hasn\u2019t slowed down. Her last BBC One series, Nigella\u2019s Cook, Eat, Repeat<\/em>, aired in 2020. She\u2019s also appeared frequently on Australian television, including judging My Kitchen Rules<\/em> in 2022 and 2023, and guest judging on MasterChef Australia.<\/p>\nFans will remember Lawson\u2019s earlier Channel 4 work, including Nigella Bites,<\/em> and her judging stint on The Taste<\/em>, where contestants prepared a single spoon of food for her, Anthony Bourdain<\/strong>, and French chef Ludo Lefebvre<\/strong>.<\/p>\nLawson joins Bake Off<\/em> at a time when ratings have dipped from the show\u2019s peak. While the series once drew 10 million viewers on BBC One, its Channel 4 iteration hasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\nChannel 4\u2019s Ian Katz<\/strong> expressed enthusiasm for the new pairing: \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly excited about the marriage of two great British icons: Bake Off and Nigella \u2026 this summer\u2019s series will be as mouthwatering a prospect as her chocolate Guinness cake.\u201d<\/p>\nBorn to Nigel Lawson<\/strong>, 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<\/em> before writing restaurant and book reviews for various publications. Her first food-focused book, How to Eat,<\/em> was published in 1998 and kickstarted a prolific career that now includes 13 cookbooks.<\/p>\nThe mother of two has also since hosted a slew of food shows, from Nigella Feasts<\/em> and Nigella Express<\/em> to guest appearances on MasterChef Australia<\/em> and Iron Chef America.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n