Nigella Lawson said she was "full of cake, hope and expectation" as she made her judging debut on The Great British Bake Off.
The 66-year-old TV cook joined fellow judge Paul Hollywood for the new Channel 4 series, which returned on Tuesday evening.
Presenters Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding introduced Lawson to the Bake Off tent, where contestants greeted her with a round of applause.
During the first episode, Lawson said she "loved" being in the tent.
She said: "I’m full of cake and hope and expectation.
"The standard is incredibly high."
Discussing the bakers she added: "It’s also important for them to learn. None of us are finished articles."
The new series kicked off with a chocolate stout cake task before the bakers were set a coffee and walnut cake for their technical challenge.
While tasting Tom’s tipsy cherry chocolate stout cake, Lawson said: “The flavours are giving me a lot of pleasure but I think you have gone a little heavy handed on the bicarb (bicarbonate soda).”
She praised Mo’s peanut and caramel chocolate stout cake as “sensational” and said it looked “irresistible”.
“When you have a bit of salt in something you are just singing a song,” she said.
“That looks rather spectacular. I’m in heaven.”
Hollywood said he loved the cake and added that the flavours were “absolutely spot on”.
“Looking forward to seeing what you are going to do next,” he said.
The bakers’ creativity was pushed to the limit again as they made a self-portrait showstopper.
Lawson said she was excited about the first showstopper of the series to see the bakers show off their “artistic skill”.
She appeared moved during Gabe’s showstopper, Blu Romantic portrait cake, which involved cracking a “mirror” to reveal the true identity.
Lawson added: “If you are not the Picasso of patisserie what I want is a bit of personality, some wit.”
Asked about the apparently missing portrait, Gabe, who is a drag artist and performs under the name Blu Romantic, said: “There is a mirror on the front of the cake. Usually my drag persona isn’t around, so you have to get into that mirror so that you can see it.”
Hollywood cracked the mirror to reveal a picture of Gabe’s drag king persona, and Lawson said: “Oh, that is clever.
“That is rather profound actually. A lot of us feel we have a person beyond the surface.”
During the showstopper another contestant, Shannon, became unwell and was unable to finish her bake.
Fielding later announced that Mo had been named Star Baker while Hammond revealed nobody would be going home in the first week.
Lawson replaced Dame Prue Leith, who announced in January that she was stepping down after nine seasons on the show.
Bake Off will return next Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4.
Read MoreBake Off wastes Nigella’s prodigous charms and misses chance for a revamp – review
Paul Hollywood says Nigella Lawson is a ‘warmer’ Bake Off judge than Mary Berry
Nigella Lawson offers glimpse of new look Bake Off in first trailer
Nigella Lawson addresses Paul Hollywood rumours before Bake Off launch
Netflix star issues desperate plea for work to keep SAG health insurance
Kat Dennings shut down a 2 Broke Girls bra scene cut with five words
