Nigella Lucy Lawson is an English television journalist, cuisine writer, and broadcaster. She began her career as a book reviewer and restaurant critic after being born into a distinguished and wealthy family, and then went on to work as a freelance journalist for a number of publications and journals. Her first cookbook, ‘How to Eat,’ became a best-seller after selling 300,000 copies, and her second, ‘How to Be a Domestic Goddess,’ won her the British Book Award for Author of the Year. Nigella Bites, her own food show on Channel 4, was followed by another best-selling cook book, ‘Nigella Bites.’ In the United States, she hosted ‘Nigella Feasts,’ followed by a three-part BBC Two series in the United Kingdom, Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen, which led to the commissioning of Nigella Express on BBC Two. She is not a trained chef and dislikes being referred to as a “celebrity chef,” despite her successful career in the kitchen. Her recipes are noted for their simplicity and the fact that they don’t need a lot of effort to prepare. Her remarkable beauty, as well as her kind and honest manner, allows her to interest both male and female viewers. She has been dubbed “the sexiest television chef ever” and continues to inspire men and women to cook.
Childhood and Adolescence
Baron Nigel Lawson of Blaby, a former Conservative MP and former Chancellor of the Exchequer in Margaret Thatcher’s ministry, and his ex-wife, Vanessa, a wealthy socialite, gave birth to Nigella Lawson on January 6, 1960 in London. She had a difficult childhood because she did not get along with her father, and she only became friendly with her mother after she was an adult, when she died of cancer at the age of 48. Dominic, her brother, and sisters Horatia and the late Thomasina are her biological siblings. Her father’s children with his second wife are her half-brother Tom and half-sister Emily. She was a bright student who struggled to keep up with her studies. She changed schools five times before graduating from Oxford with a master’s degree in Medieval and Modern Languages.
Career of Nigella
Lawson started his career in publishing, working for publisher Naim Attallah. She began her career in journalism at the age of 23 when she was asked to write book reviews for ‘The Spectator.’ In 1986, she was appointed deputy literary editor of The Sunday Times, but because she did not want to be an executive, she left to pursue a freelance writing career, producing food and beauty pieces. In 2000, she wrote a book called ‘How to Be a Domestic Goddess,’ which concentrated mostly on baking. The Observer selected her to be their social affairs columnist after the book sold 180,000 copies in four months.
The ‘Nigella Bites’ series was eventually televised on E! and Style Network in the United States. ‘Nigella Bites’ was the second best-selling culinary book in America during the Christmas season of 2002. She oversaw the menu and preparations for a lunch served by Tony Blair for George W. Bush and his wife during their state visit to the UK in November 2003. ‘Feast: Food that Celebrates Life,’ her fifth book, was published in 2004 and grossed £3 million in sales. She made numerous appearances on American television during that year, notably on chat shows such as ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show.’
‘Nigella Feasts,’ her third food-related television series, premiered on the Food Network in 2006 for a 13-week run. “Nigella Feasts will have you wishing for an invite,” Time magazine noted in a positive review. In 2006, Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen, a three-part weekly cooking show, aired. The first episode drew 3.5 million viewers, and the last episode became BBC Two’s most popular show. In 2007, BBC Two premiered ‘Nigella Express,’ a 13-part food series that suggested ways to make simple and quick dishes. A companion book with the same title was also published.
She was one of three judges on a special Iron Chef America battle “In 2010, Cristeta Comerford and Bobby Flay competed in “The Super Chef Battle,” which pitted Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali against Cristeta Comerford and Bobby Flay. ‘Nigellissima: Instant Italian Inspiration,’ published in 2012, was favorably received in both the United States and Italy. The BBC aired an eight-part television series called ‘Nigellissima.’ In 2013, she co-starred in the American reality food show ‘The Taste’ alongside Anthony Bourdain. In January of 2014, Channel 4 launched a UK version of the show.
Major Projects of Nigella
After witnessing a distressed dinner party host, Lawson decided to publish a cookbook. In the UK, ‘How to Eat,’ published in 1998, sold 300,000 books and included culinary ideas on preparation and time management.
From 1999 to 2001, she presented her own food show on Channel 4, ‘Nigella Bites,’ which drew an average of 1.9 million people. A generally caustic critic, Victor Lewis-Smith, praised her for being “formidably charming.” “..
Personal History and Legacy
Nigella Lawson was married to John Diamond, a journalist, and they had a daughter, Cosima, and a son, Bruno. Diamond died in March 2001, at the age of 47, after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Lawson married art collector Charles Saatchi, but filed for divorce due to his continued unreasonable behavior; the couple was awarded a judgment nisi in July 2013, ending their ten-year marriage.
Lawson is a supporter of the Lavender Trust, an organization that helps young women with breast cancer. She first got involved with the organization in 2002, when she cooked lavender cupcakes to be auctioned off during a fundraiser. In 2003, Lawson turned down an OBE from Queen Elizabeth II. She is entitled to the courtesy title of “The Honorable,” however she does not use it despite being the daughter of a life peer.
Estimated Net Worth
Nigella Lawson has a net worth of $20 million and is an English journalist and broadcaster. Nigella Lawson was born in 1960 in London, England, and studied at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, before working as a book and restaurant reviewer before becoming the deputy literary editor of “The Sunday Times.”
Trivia
I eat healthily, said one British chef when asked about her eating habits. It’s only that I eat enough to sustain a family of five.” “I am not a cook,” she previously declared as a celebrity chef. I am not even a trained or professional cook. My qualification is as an eater.”