Dame Prue Leith has said Nigella Lawson was “quite nervous” to take over as host of The Great British Bake Off after she stepped down. The restaurateur, 86, announced in January she would be leaving the show after serving as a judge for nine series, with Lawson taking over for the new season beginning in September.
Leith backs Lawson as the right choice
Speaking on This Morning, Dame Prue said she believes Lawson is the right person for the job. She said: “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’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.”
Lawson’s first days on set
Lawson was pictured alongside her co-stars for the first time earlier this month on her first day of filming in the Bake Off tent. She had said in a social media post that she was “a bit nervous, very excited, and extremely happy” ahead of her debut, but has “loved every minute”.
Blake Lively’s surprise appearance
Elsewhere during the interview, Dame Prue discussed her show Prue Leith’s Cotswolds Kitchen, which sees stars cook for her in her home. Blake Lively appears on the new series, and Dame Prue said the actress’s children are big fans of Bake Off.
“What really pleased me was Blake Lively,” Dame Prue said. “I met her when she and (Lively’s husband) Ryan Reynolds crashed the Bake Off tent, their children are mad about Bake Off so they all turned up and we got friendly.”
The broadcaster said Lively agreed to appear on the show if she was ever in the Cotswolds but Dame Prue thought she was just “being nice”. She was surprised when the Gossip Girl star called her out of the blue one day to tell her she was in the Cotswolds and so the crew hastily got together to film with her the day after.
Personal milestone ahead
Dame Prue will mark her 10th anniversary with her husband John Playfair in October, but she expects it will be a low-key affair. She said: “We’re much more likely to not notice it and forget it.”
