Nigella Lawson rumoured to be joining Great British Bake Off as judge

It’s not official yet but the UK press have whipped themselves into a frenzy at reports that Nigella Lawson is about to become a Great British Bake Off judge.

Break out the bread pans and fire up those mixers. It would be a huge icing on top for the long-running and still passionately beloved show, after judge Prue Leith announced earlier this week she was departing after nine years.

According to media reports, Lawson was due to sign a contract to be the Great British Bake Off’s fourth judge, where she would join Paul Hollywood in assessing every contestant’s ambitious and usually delectable concoctions.

Lawson has long been a player in the celebrity cook stakes, publishing her first book, How to Eat, in 1998. She quickly established herself as charismatic media presence with her unmistakable, infectious passion for food, and was nicknamed the “thinking man’s crumpet”.

She has hosted her own series, including Nigella Bites and Nigella Kitchen, and appeared as a judge or guest judge on the likes of Top Chef, MasterChef Australia and The Taste. Her most recent credit was as the presenter of her show, Nigella’s Amsterdam Christmas in 2023.

If she is to join Great British Bake Off, it would be a massive boost for the internationally renowned franchise, bringing an extra pinch of star power and considerable television experience.

Earlier this week, Leith said she was quitting Bake Off because “now feels like the right time to step back” and that she had “so much more I’d like to do”. She cited her age, 86, as one of the reasons for her decision.

Leith joined the series in its eighth season when it moved from the BBC to Channel 4, replacing Mary Berry who had been an original judge.

Hollywood was the only cast member who made the transition over with OG hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins also leaving at the same time as Berry.

Comics Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig was brough on as hosts, whose jobs are to introduce the challenges, communicate the winners and the eliminated, and distract the bakers with asides and hijinks during the cooking.

Toksvig stayed on as host for four years and was replaced by Matt Lucas, who lasted three seasons. Allison Hammond has been Fielding’s play buddy for the past three series.

The wholesome baking competition has recently wrapped up its 16th season in the main series, while this year’s celebrity Christmas special featured a reunion of Peep Show stars Olivia Colman, David Mitchell, Matt King, Isy Suttie and Sophie Winkleman.

Colman, it was revealed, is quite the baker, and her showstopper cake depicting an iconic scene from the comedy series won her the competition. No surprises.

The most successful winner of Great British Bake Off over the years has been season six winner Nadiya Hussain, whose victory was watched by 15 million viewers, who went on to write cook books, host her own show and was commissioned to make the late Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday cake.