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Nigella Lawson joining Great British Bake Off judging

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2026-09-08 08:22 UTC → 2026-09-10 09:38 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Nigella Lawson has been announced as a new judge for the Channel 4 series ‘The Great British Bake Off’, succeeding Dame Prue Leith, who announced her departure in January after nine series. Lawson, 66, described the program as a ‘national treasure’ and noted the daunting task of following previous judges Mary Berry and Leith, stating she is ‘bubbling with excitement’ despite feeling ‘a bit nervous’ about the role. Following the completion of filming, Channel 4 and Love Productions released first-look images and a trailer featuring the new lineup: Lawson, existing judge Paul Hollywood, and presenters Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond. Outgoing judge Prue Leith endorsed the appointment, describing Lawson as ‘sassy, fun’ and noting that ‘she knows her onions.’ Following the filming of new episodes, reports emerged suggesting a feud between Lawson and Hollywood. Speculation claimed Lawson found Hollywood’s use of a helicopter to commute to Welford Park to be ‘rather cringe’ and ‘ghastly.’ Channel 4 executive Kiran Nataraja dismissed these rumors during a speech at the Edinburgh TV Festival, stating that the judges are not ‘arguing about helicopters the whole time.’ During a series launch event in London, Lawson and Hollywood addressed these rumors directly, presenting a united front alongside hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. Hollywood stated that Lawson ‘fitted in beautifully,’ while Lawson remarked that the group ‘all talked non-stop’ and gets on well together. The 17th series is scheduled to launch on Channel 4 on September 22. For the upcoming 17th series, the program is introducing ‘Audience Choice Week,’ a feature allowing viewers to suggest signature, technical, or showstopper challenges. One such viewer-suggested theme involves bakers inviting friends or family into the tent to assist them. Additionally, the spin-off show ‘Extra Slice’ has been rebranded as ‘Second Helpings,’ featuring new presenters Judi Love and Jon Richardson.

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