A new judge is entering the tent.
Cookbook author and celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, known for such shows as “Nigella Bites” and “My Kitchen Rules,” will be joining “The Great British Baking Show” as its newest judge, Lawson and the show’s producers announced Monday.
The announcement comes less than a week after Prue Leith announced she was leaving the program after nine seasons.
“I’m uncharacteristically rather lost for words right now!” Lawson said in a statement included with the announcement. “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.”
Lawson also said the show, which is known as “The Great British Bake Off” in the U.K., is a “national treasure.”
“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!”
The incoming Lawson will join Paul Hollywood on the judging panel for the show’s upcoming 17th season. The most recent seasons also featured comedians Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond as presenters.
Leith, 86, announced that she was leaving the beloved series last week, saying it “feels like the right time to step back.” She had joined the show in 2017, replacing culinary author and chef Mary Berry.
Before joining the beloved baking show, Leith opened a Michelin-starred restaurant, wrote a food column and presented other cooking shows on British television. She brought to the show a career’s worth of culinary insights, as well as her bold necklaces and a penchant for boozy bakes.
Commenting on Lawson joining the baking show, Leith said she was “thrilled” with the choice, the BBC reported.
“She’s sassy, fun and she knows her onions — and her croissants, cake and crumble,” Leith said in a statement obtained by the outlet.
