What To Know
- Nigella Lawson said she was hesitant about joining the The Great British Baking Show as a new judge.
- The famed food writer and cook is replacing Prue Leith, who exited the show back in January.
- Lawson’s arrival has generated excitement among the crew and public.
The Great British Baking Show returns next week with Nigella Lawson making her debut in the tent; however, the famed food writer and television cook admitted she had her doubts.
Speaking to the Radio Times and other outlets alongside her fellow judge Paul Hollywood and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding, Lawson opened up about taking over from Prue Leith, who stepped down after nine seasons back in January 2026
“I actually did worry that I didn’t deserve the honor, to be honest, and I did speak to Paul,” Lawson said, noting that she met up with Hollywood and the pair chatted about what she could bring to the show.
“‘You know what kind of baker I am!’ I love baking, and I’m a bit more ramshackle than Paul, but that’s good to have all kinds of baking represented,” she added. “But I just wanted to make sure because I, you know, I did feel a bit… I was following two very eminent ladies, and I wanted to make sure that I felt I could do it.”
Hollywood originally judged the hit competition series alongside chef Mary Berry, who left in 2016 when the show moved from its original British broadcaster BBC to Channel 4. Leith took over from 2017 and judged alongside Hollywood for the next nine years.
Lawson’s arrival has brought excitement among both the crew and the viewing public. “I haven’t had so many calls from friends to come to the tent to watch Bake Off,” Hollywood said. “I’ve been doing it for 17 years. I haven’t had so many calls in the last six months from friends I haven’t heard of for years!”
Hosts Hammond and Fielding were also complimentary of Lawson, saying she “slots right in” to the family.
“You’re lovely,” Hammond said to Lawson. “You give a lot of advice to the bakers, and they love that. You both do, but I’ve noticed in particular you do give them a lot of love.”
Fielding added, “The way that Nigella words things is very beautiful, and I think that’s very new to the tent. It’s a great babble, you know. There’s been some very surreal poetic descriptions, which I think is a new thing, isn’t it? And they’re amazing.”
“Nigella’s a writer, so they were like a little explosion,” he continued. “I think that you know everyone’s tuned into that, and the bakers are tuned into that, and I feel like they [Lawson and Hollywood] complement each other really well.”
The Great British Baking Show, Season 17 Premiere, September 24, Netflix