The Great British Bake Off returns for its 17th series, with new recruit Nigella Lawson joining judge Paul Hollywood to critique 12 new contestants hoping to be crowned this year’s winner
Nigella and Paul are new co-judges on The Great British Bake Off(Image: Instagram)
Paul Hollywood has shared his thoughts on Nigella Lawson ahead of their on-screen debut together on The Great British Bake Off. The pair have joined forces following Prue Leith’s departure from the show after nine years as a judge.
Discussing how they have got on, the pair admitted they “argued” over a few points when it came to critiquing the contestants, though they insisted they complemented each other well.
“We argued on a couple of points, but it’s more flavours, the fundamentals were the same. Nigella has such a wonderful way with words, she’s very good at explaining to people watching it what it tastes like. She was brilliant. Nigella fitted in beautifully, it was lovely working with her,” Paul told Woman Magazine.
Asked if there was a good cop, bad cop dynamic between them, Paul gave his verdict on his co-star, adding: “Our Nigella’s a big softie.”
In response, Nigella claimed Paul was also a softie, despite his on-screen hard-to-please persona. She went on to say that she felt “so welcome” by the team, which also includes Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding on hosting duties.
“It would have been odd if I hadn’t been a bit nervous before I started – it’s a big deal – but I felt at home in about two minutes flat. It always sounds so cheesy to say it feels like a family, but it does,” she shared.
On Tuesday (September 22), viewers will meet the 12 new bakers hoping to be crowned this year’s winner. Teasing what’s to come from the series, Paul said he witnessed “some real genius work”, adding that it was “very tricky” to pick a winner.
“They really do pull it out of the bag when they need to, you know, it is quite amazing,” Nigella added.
Prue stepped back from the show in January, citing her desire to have more time for herself and her family. In a statement at the time, Mary Berry’s successor shared: “Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul, Alison and Noel and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4.
“But now feels like the right time to step back (I’m 86 for goodness sake!), there’s so much I’d like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden,” she continued, before adding that she felt “very lucky to have been part of it”.
Speaking on This Morning last month, the former judge shared what she told Nigella when passing on the baton.
“I didn’t have to give her any tips but I did tell her to just enjoy it because she’s so good. She was quite nervous,” she shared.
“She’s so well qualified and knows exactly what she’s doing and the audience love her. I saw her and [fellow judge] Paul [Hollywood] last week and they’re getting on well. She’s nice, I’m glad it’s her.”
The Great British Bake Off continues tonight at 8pm on Channel 4
