Alison Hammond, one of the presenters of The Great British Bake Off, recently shared a humorous confession about her new colleague, judge Nigella Lawson. Alison, who joined the presenting team in 2023, will be working alongside Nigella this year as the celebrated chef replaces Dame Prue Leith on the judging panel.
In a candid interview with the Radio Times after filming wrapped, Alison admitted she mistakenly called Nigella by the wrong name. When asked about meeting Nigella, Alison chuckled, “Oh, my God, Nigel! Don’t tell her I’ve been calling her Nigel, for some reason!”
Nigella Lawson, 66, takes over from Prue Leith, who had been a judge since 2017. Alison expressed sadness over Dame Prue’s departure, reflecting on her important role on the show.
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Nigella, herself a renowned chef and TV personality, described joining Bake Off as both daunting and thrilling. “Of course it’s daunting to be following in the footsteps of Dame Prue Leith and Dame Mary Berry before her, great dames both, but I’m also bubbling with excitement,” she said. “The Great British Bake Off is more than a television programme, it’s a National Treasure – and it’s a huge honour to be entrusted with it.”
Dame Prue Leith, 86, also commented on the change, praising Nigella’s personality and skills. “She’s sassy, fun and she knows her onions – and her croissants, cake and crumble,” said Prue. Reflecting on her own decision to leave, she shared via Instagram that Bake Off had been “a fabulous part” of her life for nine years. “I’ve 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.”
As the seventeenth series of Bake Off is set to air later this year, fans are eager to see how the new lineup of presenters and judges will fare. Alison Hammond recently posted a photo with Nigella on Instagram, captioning it: “What a beautiful lady.” Alongside her Bake Off duties, Alison continues to keep busy with her work on ITV’s This Morning.