Dame Mary Berry was a Great British Bake Off staple for several years, but she’s said that Nigella Lawson has brought “fresh life” to the series.
Berry was a judge on the wholesome cooking show from 2010 to 2016, before being replaced by Prue Leith. Lawson succeeded Leith in the role last month, and Berry, 91, is a big fan of the “glamorous” new addition.
“I am delighted Nigella is there,” she said at Cheltenham Literature Festival. “She has got to keep control of a certain person. Paul [Hollywood] needs handling and he has this handshake, which keeps appearing.”
She continued: “Nigella has brought some glamour to it, and she really likes tasting doesn’t she? And I know how she feels, I always took a proper mouthful because if you just take a little bit, the person whose food you are tasting, their auntie will say ‘well, she didn’t even taste it’. So I was aware of that.
“Nigella is a joy and I think she has brought new life and I think it will do really well. A touch of glamour.”
Lawson has proved a success on Bake Off, with Hollywood declaring she is “warmer” to contestants on the show than Berry was.
Discussing his working relationship with Lawson during an interview with the Radio Times, Hollywood referred to her as a "very warm person, especially to the bakers".
He added: "There’s a very nurturing nature to Nigella, which was quite strong this year."
Reflecting on how Lawson compares to her predecessors, he observed: "Mary was different to Prue, Prue was different to Nigella and Nigella is different to Mary.
"They each bring their own character to it, and Nigella is a very warm person, especially to the bakers. More so than Mary was and I think more akin to Prue.
"There’s a very nurturing nature to Nigella, which was quite strong this year. Whereas me, I suppose I’m the constant. So I remain in my position of being constructively critical."
The series is hosted by Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding.
Lawson said she has been “trying to look for the positives” with each contestant’s bake, stating: “You never want criticism to make people feel inadequate, or to be something that pampers them rather than encourages them”.
She stated that she thinks “it’s very important to let someone know what they’re doing well and what needs to be a bit better”.
Lawson became a prominent media figure during the late 1990s on the back of her acclaimed television series and bestselling culinary books.
Prior to establishing her career as a food author, the Oxford graduate worked as a journalist.
Her debut title, How To Eat, enjoyed significant commercial success, while her subsequent book, How To Be A Domestic Goddess – credited as the work that "kick-started the cupcake revolution" – secured her Author of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2001.
She went on to present Nigella Bites for Channel 4 before making appearances across ITV and the BBC.
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