Lorraine Pascale facts for kids

Lorraine Pascale (born 17 November 1972) is a famous British TV chef and host on the USA Food Network. She was also a top model before becoming a chef. Lorraine is well-known for selling nearly a million cookbooks in the UK. Her cooking shows are watched in 70 countries around the world.

From 2007 to 2012, she owned a shop in London called Ella's Bakehouse. It sold delicious baked goods and was named after her daughter. Lorraine is also an ambassador for fostering and adoption in the UK. She helps people understand emotional wellness. Her daughter, Ella Balinska, is an actress who starred in the movie Charlie’s Angels.

About Lorraine's Life

Lorraine Pascale was born in Hackney, London. Her birth parents were from Jamaica. She was fostered right after she was born in Leytonstone. When she was 18 months old, she was adopted by Roger and Audrey Woodward. They were a white couple who lived in Witney, Oxfordshire.

Her adoptive father was a Spanish academic who taught at Oxford University. Her adoptive mother was a nurse. When Lorraine was three, her parents divorced. She stayed with her mother. Later, her mother became ill and could not care for her.

At age seven, Lorraine was fostered by different families for about a year. She then returned to live with her mother. She also reconnected with her father, who had remarried and had another daughter. Lorraine received a scholarship from the Buttle Trust. This allowed her to attend 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. She has chosen not to contact them. She feels that her adoptive family is enough for her.

In her early twenties, Lorraine married a musician named Kaz Balinski-Jundzill. Their daughter, Ella Balinska, was born a year or two later. Lorraine and Kaz later separated and divorced. On 26 June 2021, Lorraine married businessman Dennis O’Brien in London.

Lorraine's Career Journey

When Lorraine was 16, a talent agent discovered her. This was the same agent who found supermodel Naomi Campbell. As a model, Lorraine worked with famous models like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. She walked the runway for big fashion brands like Chanel and Versace.

Lorraine lived in New York during her modeling career. She became the first Black British model to be on the cover of American Elle magazine. She also appeared in the 1998 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. You might have also seen her as a "Bond Girl" in Robbie Williams' music video for "Millennium".

From Model to Chef

Lorraine knew she needed a plan for her future after modeling. She tried out different jobs, even car mechanics! In 2005, she took a cooking course at Leith's School of Food and Wine. She quickly realized that cooking felt just right for her.

After getting her cooking diploma, she worked in some London restaurants. However, she found that restaurant hours were very long. So, Lorraine decided to become a special 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 Selfridges 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. In March 2012, she graduated with top honors. Lorraine has shared that she uses Transcendental Meditation to relax after work.

TV Shows and Cookbooks

In January 2011, Lorraine Pascale started her own TV baking show called Baking Made Easy on BBC television. She also released a cookbook based on the show. Later that year, a second series, Home Cooking Made Easy, aired. It also had a matching cookbook.

She had a special Christmas show called Last Minute Christmas in December 2011. In 2012, her third book and a new series, Fast, Fresh & Easy Food, came out. This show aired on BBC Two.

In 2014, Lorraine co-hosted and judged the UK version of My Kitchen Rules with Jason Atherton. She also hosted a new six-part series called Lorraine Pascale: How to be a Better Cook on BBC Two. In 2015, she co-hosted an episode of The Nation's Favourite Food with the Hairy Bikers.

From 2014 to 2020, Lorraine was a judge on Food Network shows like Holiday Baking Championship and Spring Baking Championship. She was also a mentor on Worst Bakers in America. She judged Bakers vs. Fakers and later became its host for Season 2.

Helping Others: Charity Work

Lorraine Pascale is a patron for TACT. This is the UK's biggest charity for fostering and adoption. She is also an ambassador for two other charities: Rays of Sunshine and The Prince's Trust. Rays of Sunshine helps grant wishes for seriously ill children. The Prince's Trust helps young people build their lives.

In 2008, she became an ambassador for the National Careers Service. She launched the service with Skills Minister John Hayes. Lorraine visits schools and even women's prisons. She talks about building confidence and being strong emotionally.

TV Appearances