Paul Hollywood Raves About Nigella Lawson Joining Bake Off

Nigella Lawson Joins the Bake Off Family

Nigella Lawson is stepping into some iconic shoes as she joins the legendary baking show, taking over from Dame Prue Leith. Joining the well-loved Channel 4 program last month, Nigella is set to be the third judge alongside Paul Hollywood, after Prue and the beloved Dame Mary Berry.

At 66, Nigella has expressed sheer excitement to be part of the Bake Off team. She recently shared on ITV's This Morning, "I'm really looking forward to it. Listen, I think Prue is just fantastic, and Mary Berry was fantastic before. So, if I think about it like that, I do, then I feel like, ‘Oh no’, you know, I get really frightened."

Paul Hollywood's Praise for Nigella

Paul Hollywood, the familiar face of Bake Off, is all in favor of Nigella's addition to the show. Speaking to the Radio Times, Paul gushed, "She knows what she's talking about." He emphasized her in-depth culinary knowledge as well as her warmth and charm, saying, "It comes down to knowledge – both Mary and Prue have amazing taste-buds and a huge depth of knowledge of what they're talking about, and Nigella exactly the same, comes from the same mould."

Paul continued, "It comes down to bringing your knowledge and also your warmth – both Mary and Prue brought their warmth and I'm sure Nigella's going to do exactly the same, to make the bakers feel at ease."

Prue Leith's Farewell

After an impressive nine series on Bake Off, Prue Leith has decided to step down. She joined the show when it transitioned to Channel 4 back in 2017. In a heartfelt note in The Spectator, Prue explained her decision, stating, "I have been dithering for years about when to stop judging The Great British Bake Off."

Prue shared her reasons, pointing to the need for more leisure time and summer holidays, which the show's filming schedule had disrupted. "I suddenly realised that if I don’t give up Bake Off, I’ll never again have a holiday in the south of France, in Italy, in Spain, or even in Cornwall or Scotland," she said.

Reflecting on her time on the show, Prue mentioned the wonderful friends she's made and the joy of working in such great company. While the Love Productions team expressed their desire for her to stay, Prue felt it was time to reorganize her life, ideally working in winter and enjoying summers off.