As if we needed any further proof, there’s fresh evidence confirming Nigella Lawson is indeed a national treasure.
The television chef and soon-to-be Bake Off judge’s icon status was cemented during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends programme, when cookery author Ella Rusbridger shared an anecdote that highlighted the star’s kindness.
Rusbridger explained that when she released her book, Midnight Chicken, in 2019, she took part in an event with Lawson.
“I was so nervous I couldn’t eat the whole day,” she said, “because I thought ‘I’m going on stage with Nigella, what’s she going to be like?’ The great Nigella.
“I got there, I was in such a flap and I shook her hand and I was like a shaking egg in the corner. Then I went to sit in my own chair thinking, ‘Don’t look directly at her, don’t speak to her.’”
Thankfully, Lawson had other plans for their pre-event preparation.
“She just came over to me, she put her hand on my shoulder and she said ‘you haven't eaten’,” Rusbridger continued. “And I said, ‘I haven’t Nigella, I’m so sorry.’ She said, ‘I thought you wouldn’t, so I’ve brought you a Vegemite sandwich and some crisps.’”
Lawson then pulled a sandwich wrapped in clingfilm – labelled with Rusbridger’s name, no less – from her bag.
“It was probably the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me,” the author said. “Then she clipped my hair back because she said it was going to get in my face on stage.
“It was a quick-fire masterclass on being unbelievably cool and gracious.”
The Loose Ends clip has been shared on Instagram, where plenty of users have weighed in with their own stories of Lawson’s kindness.
One wrote: “A friend of mine was a student in London and was in a small Chinese restaurant with another friend. They were both fairly broke but had decided to treat themselves with a couple of starters and beers.
“Nigella and her then [very] young family came in and they sat close by and ordered. They got chatting (she is apparently super funny and lovely) – the family left and a waiter came over and said to the girls that Nigella had paid their bill.”
Another wrote: “Richard E Grant’s book describes how Nigella sent homemade dishes to his house every week when his wife was terminally ill to preserve his time with her and provide sustenance. What a thoroughly good egg.”
Lawson hasn’t been a regular on the small screen since her series Cook, Eat Repeat aired in 2020, but she’ll be making a comeback this summer as a judge on Bake Off.
The 66-year-old was announced as the replacement for Prue Leith back in January and said in a statement at the time: “I’m uncharacteristically rather lost for words right now! 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.
“I’m just thrilled to be joining the team and all the new bakers to come. I wish the marvellous Prue all the best, and am giddily grateful for the opportunity!”
Channel 4 is yet to confirm an exact airdate for this year’s Bake Off but the new series is expected to air in September.
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