Nigella Lawson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Nigella Lawson
Lawson in 2017
Born	Nigella Lucy Lawson (1960-01-06) 6 January 1960 (age 65) Wandsworth, London, England
Education	Ibstock Place School Godolphin and Latymer School
Alma mater	Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Occupation	Food writer television cook restaurant critic journalist author television presenter
Years active	1983–present
Employer	BBC (current) Channel 4, ITV (former) Good Food Channel Food Network (UK version; frequent repeats of Channel 4 and BBC shows)
Known for	TV presenting, cookery, writing
Style	Desserts, pastry, Middle Eastern, English, Mediterranean
Spouse(s)	John Diamond ​ ​ (m. 1992; died 2001)​ Charles Saatchi ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2013)​
Children	2
Parents	Nigel Lawson (father) Vanessa Salmon (mother)
Relatives	Dominic Lawson (brother)

Nigella Lucy Lawson (born 6 January 1960) is a famous English food writer and television cook. She is known for her easy-to-follow recipes and friendly cooking style.

After finishing her studies at Oxford University, Nigella Lawson started her career as a book reviewer and restaurant critic. She later became a deputy editor for The Sunday Times newspaper in 1986. She also wrote for many other newspapers and magazines. In 1998, her first cookbook, How to Eat, was published. It sold 300,000 copies and became a huge success. Her second book, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, came out in 2000 and won the British Book Award for Author of the Year.

In 1999, Lawson began hosting her own cooking show, Nigella Bites, on Channel 4. This show also led to another best-selling cookbook. Nigella Bites earned Lawson a Guild of Food Writers Award. In 2006, she hosted Nigella Feasts in the United States. This was followed by Nigella's Christmas Kitchen on BBC Two in the UK. Her show Nigella Express then aired on BBC Two in 2007. Nigella Lawson has sold over 8 million cookbooks around the world. She also has her own line of kitchen products called Living Kitchen.

Early Life and Family

Nigella Lawson was born in 1960 in Wandsworth, London. Her father was Nigel Lawson, who was a journalist and later a government official. Her mother was Vanessa Salmon. Both of her parents came from Jewish families. Her family lived in homes in Kensington and Chelsea.

Nigella's mother passed away in 1985. Nigella has a brother, Dominic Lawson, who was an editor for The Sunday Telegraph. She also had two sisters, Horatia and Thomasina. Thomasina passed away in 1993. Nigella also has a half-brother, Tom, and a half-sister, Emily, from her father's second marriage.

Family History

Nigella Lawson took part in the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are? to learn about her family history. She discovered that her ancestors were Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe and Germany. She also found out that her great-great-great-grandfather, Coenraad Sammes, moved to England from Amsterdam in 1830. His daughter, Hannah, married Samuel Gluckstein. Samuel and his business partner, Barnett Salmon, founded the famous company J. Lyons and Co. in 1887.

Education and Studies

Nigella Lawson spent some of her childhood in the Welsh village of Higher Kinnerton. She moved schools nine times between the ages of 9 and 18. She described her school years as challenging. She attended several private schools, including Ibstock Place School and Godolphin and Latymer School. She also worked in many department stores in London. She later graduated from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford at the University of Oxford. She earned a degree in medieval and modern languages. She also lived in Florence, Italy, for a period of time.

Career Highlights

Starting in Journalism

Lawson first worked in publishing. At 23, she began her journalism career writing for The Spectator magazine. Her father had also been an editor there. She started by writing book reviews and then became a restaurant critic in 1985. In 1986, at age 26, she became the deputy literary editor of The Sunday Times.

After working at The Sunday Times, she became a freelance writer. She wrote for many newspapers and magazines, including The Daily Telegraph, The Observer, and Vogue. In the mid-1990s, she sometimes hosted TV shows like What the Papers Say. She also co-hosted a literary discussion series called Booked on Channel 4.

First Cookbooks and TV Shows

Nigella Lawson had a love for cooking from her childhood. She decided to write a cookbook after seeing a friend upset about a cooking mistake. Her first cookbook, How to Eat (1998), gave cooking tips and sold 300,000 copies in the UK. The Sunday Telegraph called it "the most valuable culinary guide published this decade."

Her next book, How to be a Domestic Goddess (2000), focused on baking. The Times newspaper said the book felt like a friendly conversation, not strict instructions. The book sold 180,000 copies in four months. It won Lawson the Author of the Year award at the British Book Awards in 2001.

Lawson then hosted her own cooking show, Nigella Bites, from 1999 to 2001 on Channel 4. Critics praised her for being very engaging. The show was watched by many viewers and won awards. It also led to a best-selling cookbook, also called Nigella Bites. This book sold over 300,000 copies in the UK. The Nigella Bites series was also shown in the United States.

In 2002, Lawson started writing a cooking article every two weeks for The New York Times. She also launched her successful line of kitchen products, the Living Kitchen range.

More TV Success and Books

Nigella Lawson at a book signing in 2004.

In November 2003, Nigella Lawson helped plan a lunch hosted by Tony Blair at Downing Street for George W. Bush and his wife. Lawson's fifth book, Feast: Food that Celebrates Life, came out in 2004 and sold very well. She often appeared on American television shows in 2004.

In 2006, her third food TV series, Nigella Feasts, started on the Food Network in the United States. Time magazine gave the show a good review, praising her practical approach to cooking.

Lawson then signed with BBC Two to host a three-part cooking show called Nigella's Christmas Kitchen. It began in December 2006 and was very popular. The show won Lawson another World Food Media Award in 2007. Her influence was clear when sales of goose fat and prunes increased significantly after she used them in her recipes on the show.

Nigella Express and Beyond

Nigella's Christmas Kitchen led to a 13-part cooking series called Nigella Express. This show focused on quick and easy meals. It was another big success for BBC Two. The show's first episode had 2.85 million viewers. Sales of Riesling wine also increased by 30% in the UK after she used it in a recipe on Nigella Express.

The book for Nigella Express was released in 2007 and became a best-seller. It sold over 490,000 copies in the UK by mid-December. By January 2008, Lawson had sold more than 3 million books worldwide. Her Christmas book and TV show followed in 2008.

Recent Work

Lawson at Selfridges London, December 2012

In 2010, Lawson was a judge on a special episode of Iron Chef America. Her cookbook Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home (2010) was released with her TV series "Nigella Kitchen".

Nigellissima: Instant Italian Inspiration came out in 2012, along with an 8-part TV series called Nigellissima on the BBC. Lawson had gained cooking experience in Italy during her gap year.

In 2013, she traveled to the United States to star as a judge on the cooking show The Taste. The UK version of the show started in January 2014 on Channel 4. In May 2014, Lawson went to New Zealand to film an advertisement for a chocolate company.

In autumn 2015, Lawson started Simply Nigella for BBC 2. This show focused on comforting, simple, and quick dishes.

Lawson was the spokesperson for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. She announced the UK's points during the final.

Since 2016, Lawson has been a guest judge on MasterChef Australia for several seasons. In 2022, she became a judge on 7 Network's My Kitchen Rules in Australia. She returned to the show for its thirteenth season in 2023.

Cooking Style and Public Image

Nigella Lawson is not a trained chef, and she prefers not to be called a "celebrity chef." She sees herself as someone who cooks for pleasure and enjoyment. She finds cooking to be relaxing. When choosing recipes for her books, she thinks about what people would enjoy eating. She says, "If it's something I don't want to carry on eating once I'm full, then I don't want the recipe."

Lawson has a relaxed approach to cooking. She believes cooking should be about fun and family. She says there are "no rules in my kitchen." Her recipes are often simple and do not require complicated steps.

Lawson in 2017

Lawson is known for her friendly and engaging way of presenting. She says her style is intimate, not flirtatious. Many people find her attractive, and she has been called one of the world's most beautiful women. The media has noted that she connects well with both male and female viewers. Chef Gary Rhodes once said that viewers were drawn to her smile.

Personal Life

First Marriage and Children

Nigella Lawson met journalist John Diamond in 1986. They were both writing for The Sunday Times. They married in Venice in 1992. They had a daughter named Cosima and a son named Bruno. John Diamond was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1997 and passed away in March 2001. Lawson took a short break from filming Nigella Bites after his death.

Second Marriage

Lawson married art collector Charles Saatchi in September 2003. They divorced in 2013.

Interests and Beliefs

In 2008, it was reported that Lawson had a personal fortune of £15 million. She has stated that she does not want her children to inherit all of her money. She believes it is important for them to earn their own way.

Lawson comes from a Jewish background, but she is an atheist. She supports the Lavender Trust, a charity that helps young women with breast cancer. She became involved with the charity in 2002.

In 2001, Lawson turned down an OBE award from Queen Elizabeth II. She explained that she felt she wasn't "saving lives" and was just doing something she loved. As the daughter of a life peer, she is entitled to be called "The Honourable Nigella Lawson," but she does not use this title.

Lawson believes that cooking is like a "metaphor for life." She says that in cooking, you need structure but also need to be flexible. She advises not to aim for perfection but to learn from mistakes. She describes cooking as "a way of strengthening oneself."

Television Shows

Awards and Recognition

• 2000 – British Book Awards – Author of the Year for How to Be a Domestic Goddess
• 2001 – WHSmith Book Award – How to Be a Domestic Goddess shortlisted for Lifestyle Book of the Year
• 2001 – Guild of Food Writers – Television Broadcast of the Year for Nigella Bites
• 2001 – World Food Media Award – Gold Ladle Best Television Food Show for Nigella Bites
• 2002 – WHSmith Book Awards – Lifestyle Book of the Year for Nigella Bites
• 2007 – World Food Media Award – Gold Ladle Best Food and/or Drink Television Show for Nigella's Christmas Kitchen
• 2016 – Fortnum & Mason TV Personality of the Year
• 2021 – nominated for a BAFTA for her unique pronunciation of "microwave" during an episode of her series Nigella's Cook, Eat, Repeat.

See also

In Spanish: Nigella Lawson para niños