Nigella Lawson is set to join Paul Hollywood on the popular baking competition The Great British Bake Off, replacing Prue Leith who stepped down after nine seasons. The 86-year-old TV chef has expressed her excitement and "daunting" yet "bubbling with" enthusiasm for taking over as a judge, praising the show's status as a "national treasure".
Lawson will be joined by long-standing presenter Paul Hollywood, who will continue to oversee the program after its move from BBC Two to Channel 4. The upcoming series, number 17, is expected to launch later this year and marks a significant shift for the franchise.
The news comes as ratings for the show have declined since its move to Channel 4 in 2017, with numbers dropping every year except for a brief resurgence in 2025. However, fans are eagerly anticipating Lawson's involvement, with Channel 4 describing her as "two great British icons".
Lawson has previously worked on cooking shows for Channel 4 and BBC One, including her own series Nigella Bites and appearances as a guest judge on MasterChef. Her most recent stint was as a judge on the Australian culinary competition My Kitchen Rules in 2022 and 2023.
Leith also expressed her support for Lawson's involvement, stating that she is "thrilled" to see the TV chef take over and praising her enthusiasm for the show.
Lawson will be joined by long-standing presenter Paul Hollywood, who will continue to oversee the program after its move from BBC Two to Channel 4. The upcoming series, number 17, is expected to launch later this year and marks a significant shift for the franchise.
The news comes as ratings for the show have declined since its move to Channel 4 in 2017, with numbers dropping every year except for a brief resurgence in 2025. However, fans are eagerly anticipating Lawson's involvement, with Channel 4 describing her as "two great British icons".
Lawson has previously worked on cooking shows for Channel 4 and BBC One, including her own series Nigella Bites and appearances as a guest judge on MasterChef. Her most recent stint was as a judge on the Australian culinary competition My Kitchen Rules in 2022 and 2023.
Leith also expressed her support for Lawson's involvement, stating that she is "thrilled" to see the TV chef take over and praising her enthusiasm for the show.
I'm not sure about this one, though... Nigella joining Paul Hollywood on The Great British Bake Off seems like a good combo at first 
That's a pretty big shift in the middle of the show's history... Not sure if fans are as hyped about this change as Channel 4 is making them out to be 
. I mean, ratings have been declining since the move to Channel 4 anyway... Can't say I'm surprised they're trying something new 
!
I know there's been a bit of decline in ratings since it moved to Channel 4, but I think having Nigella on board is gonna shake things up and bring some new energy to the show. 
And yay for her being described as one of our two great British icons! 
and that Channel 4 described her as "two great British icons" 
. Fans must be beyond excited too! 
The decline in ratings kinda makes sense now tho... but I still think Nigella's presence will bring new life to the show 
. Bring on the bakes & I'm all in for Season 17 
!
she's going to be amazing!!! i've loved watching masterchef with my mum since we were kids, and now nigella is part of it too?!? i remember her coming on as a guest judge years ago and thinking she was so cool 
what will the new season be like tho?! will they get more bakers or just keep it at 10 contestants?? can't wait to tune in later this year 
I mean, who wouldn't want to see Nigella and Paul Hollywood judging those contestants together? 
It's gonna be like having a masterclass in baking every week! 
i mean niggla lawson's got so much exp and her shows r always soo good 
paul hollywood is still my fave judge tho 
but lawson's involvement is a great addition to the show, i'm sure it'll get the ratings back up 
. On the bright side, it'll be awesome to see Nigella's energy and expertise on the judging panel. Hope she brings some fresh vibes to the show and gets people excited about baking again 
. Bring on season 17!
.
. That being said, having two beloved British icons like Nigella Lawson and Paul Hollywood on board should help keep things fresh and engaging for viewers 
! I mean, who doesn't love a good baking competition? It's like a national treasure... or as I like to call it, a sugar high in waiting 
. Long live baking (and Channel 4) 
