The Great British Bake Off has revealed a first look at the show’s new presenting and judging line-up after Nigella Lawson was announced as Prue Leith’s replacement.
The British chef, 66, was said to have been brought in to spice up the show after it lost 500,000 viewers during the last series as Paul Hollywood’s co-judge.
However, it emerged last month that Nigella and Paul haven’t exactly hit it off and she is finding his helicopter rides to work a bit ‘gauche’. Read the full Mail+ report here.
But in the first image of the new team together, the foursome appear to be getting along famously as they cosied up for a promotional snap.
Newcomer Nigella looked chic in a simple but elegant black dress which cinched around the waist, while Alison Hammond opted for a colourful belted dress.
Noel Fielding showed off his typically quirky style in a skull-print shirt and skinny jeans, while Paul was wearing a more conservative blue shirt and jeans.
The Great British Bake Off have revealed a first look at the show’s new presenting and judging line-up after Nigella Lawson was announced as Prue Leith’s replacement
Nigella and Paul initially appeared to be getting along famously as they left Bake Off fans in stitches with a smouldering selfie shared in April.
Nigella – who took on the role for series 17 – took to her Instagram post to share a hilarious April Fools’ joke with her 3.1 million followers.
Nigella posed up a storm next to her fellow judge Paul, 60, in a stunning selfie to joke that the much-loved Channel 4 show is all a sham, and it is in fact a cover for a secret project that they are working on.
She looked amazing in a white blazer with smokey eyes and loose waves in her hair, while Paul rocked a white shirt and black jacket in the picture.
‘AN ANNOUNCEMENT: I know you were lead to believe that I would be joining @paul.hollywood on @britishbakeoff but, as you can clearly see, we are in fact a hard-bitten, seen-it-all detective (PH) and a lugubrious forensic pathologist (NL) solving crimes in the Ruhr Valley,’ Nigella wrote in the caption.
‘My hair and make up by @triciamakeupartist; Paul’s his own!’
Many fans rushed to the comments section to share how much they loved the post.
‘A bake-off-based detective show would be the cosy crime event of the century’; ‘Fantastic!; ‘April 1st? How I wish this was true.’; ‘I would watch that!’
Another simply added three laughing emojis.
Baking competition show Bake Off hit our screens in 2010.
Paul has been a judge on the show since it started 16 years ago, and he was originally joined by Mary Berry when the programme aired on BBC until 2016.
Nigella Lawson left Bake Off fans in stitches with a VERY cheeky post as she smouldered in a selfie with Paul Hollywood
Nigella has taken on the role of new judge on Great British Bake Off for series 17, after taking over from Prue Leith (R) (pictured with Paul and presenters Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding)
The chef, 66, took to her Instagram post to share a hilarious April Fools’ joke with her 3.1 million followers
Many rushed to the comments section to share how much the post made them laugh
In 2017, Prue Leith joined the team when the show moved to Channel 4.
But back in January it was confirmed that Nigella would be the next Great British Bake Off judge following Prue announcing she was stepping down after nine years.
The TV chef will join Paul Hollywood when the Channel 4 show’s new series begins filming in April ahead of airing later this year, said she was ‘bubbling with excitement’ to get started.
Nigella admitted being daunted by the big shoes she had to fill, following two ‘great dames’ in Prue and original judge Dame Mary Berry.
She said in a statement: ‘I’m uncharacteristically rather lost for words right now. Of course it’s daunting to be following in the footsteps of Prue Leith and Mary Berry before her, great dames both, but I’m also bubbling with excitement.
‘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.’
She added: ‘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!’
Nigella has also received Dame Prue’s approval, who said: ‘I’m thrilled that Nigella is to experience brilliant Bake Off.
‘She’s sassy, fun and she knows her onions — and her croissants, cake and crumble.’
Prue later revealed she decided to leave the Great British Bake Off out of ‘a desire to work less and play more’.
Speaking to The Spectator, she said: ‘I have been dithering for years about when to stop judging The Great British Bake Off.
‘When I joined nine years ago, I thought, since I was in my mid-seventies, that I’d be lucky to manage two years.
‘At that age, my mother was deaf as a post and away with the fairies, believing her son was her father and that her cat was the one she’d had 40 years before.
‘But my marbles stayed more or less in place and there seemed no good reason to give up a job I loved.
‘Finally, though, the desire to work less and play more got to me. Bake Off and its offshoots such as The Great American Baking Show and even the Christmas specials are all filmed in the summer, which has meant I could never have a summer holiday.’
