Lorraine Pascale facts for kids

Lorraine Pascale, born on November 17, 1972, is a famous British TV chef and a host on the USA Food Network. She used to be a model. Lorraine is well-known for selling nearly a million cookbooks in the UK. Her cooking shows are watched in 70 countries around the world. For several years, she had her own cooking show on the BBC. From 2007 to 2012, she owned a bakery in London called Ella's Bakehouse, named after her daughter. Lorraine is also an ambassador for fostering and adoption in the UK and helps people with their emotional well-being. She is the mother of Ella Balinska, an actress who starred in the movie Charlie's Angels (2019).

Early Life and Family

Lorraine Pascale was born in Hackney, London, to Jamaican parents. She was fostered in Leytonstone right after she was born. When she was 18 months old, she was adopted by Roger and Audrey Woodward, a white couple who lived in Witney, Oxfordshire. They already had a son named Jason. Lorraine's adoptive father was a professor who taught Spanish at Oxford University, and her mother was a nurse.

When Lorraine was three years old, her adoptive parents divorced. She stayed with her mother, who later became ill and could not care for her. At age seven, Lorraine was fostered by different families for about a year. After that, she returned to live with her mother. She also reconnected with her father, who had remarried and had another daughter. Lorraine received a full scholarship from the Buttle Trust and attended a boarding school in Devon.

Lorraine has an older brother and a younger half-sister. She knows who her biological parents are and that she has four other siblings. However, she has chosen not to contact them, saying, "One family is enough."

Lorraine's Career Journey

When Lorraine was 16, a modeling agent discovered her. This agent had also found Naomi Campbell. During her time as a model, Lorraine worked alongside famous supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Karen Mulder, and Kate Moss. She modeled for top fashion designers such as Chanel and Versace. While living in New York, she became the first black British model to appear on the cover of American Elle magazine. She was also featured in the 1998 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and appeared as a Bond Girl in Robbie Williams' music video for "Millennium".

After her modeling career, Lorraine wanted to make sure she had a secure future. She tried out different jobs, including hypnotherapy and even working as a car mechanic. In 2005, she took a cooking course at Leith's School of Food and Wine. She quickly realized that cooking felt "like a pair of old jeans," meaning it was a perfect fit for her.

After getting her cooking diploma, she worked in some London restaurants. However, she found that restaurant hours were not ideal for her. So, Lorraine decided to become a specialist cakemaker. She got a contract with Selfridges, a famous department store. Chef Marco Pierre White suggested her to Selfridges. In 2008 and 2010, she supplied the London store with over 1,000 Christmas cakes. Lorraine also opened her own cupcake shop in Covent Garden. She continued her studies in Culinary Arts at Thames Valley University (now University of West London) and graduated with a first-class degree in March 2012.

In 2015, Lorraine shared that she practices Transcendental Meditation. She uses this technique to relax after her busy work schedule.

Television Shows and Cookbooks

In January 2011, Lorraine Pascale hosted a TV baking show called Baking Made Easy on the BBC. She also released a cookbook based on the show. Later that year, a second series, Home Cooking Made Easy, aired in September and October, with another cookbook. A special Christmas program, Lorraine's Last Minute Christmas, was shown on BBC Two on December 22, 2011.

A third cookbook was published in 2012. A TV series based on it, called Fast, Fresh & Easy Food, aired in August and September 2012 on BBC Two.

In early 2014, Lorraine co-hosted and judged the UK version of My Kitchen Rules with Jason Atherton on Sky Living. In April of that year, it was announced that Lorraine would host a new six-part TV series called Lorraine Pascale: How to be a Better Cook. This show aired later that year on BBC Two. In March 2015, she co-hosted an episode of The Nation's Favourite Food with the Hairy Bikers on BBC Two.

From 2014 to 2020, Lorraine Pascale was a judge on Food Network's Holiday Baking Championship and Spring Baking Championship. She also served as a mentor on Worst Bakers in America. She was a judge for two episodes of the first season of Bakers vs. Fakers and became the host for Season 2.

Charity Work

Lorraine Pascale is a patron of TACT, which is the UK's largest fostering and adoption charity. She is also an ambassador for two other charities: Rays of Sunshine and The Prince's Trust. In the summer of 2008, she became an ambassador for the National Careers Service. She launched the service with Skills Minister John Hayes. Lorraine visits schools and women's maximum security prisons across the country. She talks about building confidence and emotional strength.

Personal Life

In her early twenties, Lorraine Pascale married Kaz Balinski-Jundzill, a musician from Poland. Their daughter, actress Ella Balinska, was born a year or two later. Lorraine and Kaz later separated and divorced. On June 26, 2021, Lorraine married businessman Dennis O’Brien at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London.

Television Appearances