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	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 relaxed approach to cooking and her popular cookbooks and TV shows.

After finishing her studies at Oxford University, Nigella started her career as a book reviewer and restaurant critic. She later became a deputy editor for The Sunday Times newspaper. In 1998, her first cookbook, How to Eat, became a huge success. Her second book, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, won her the British Book Award for Author of the Year.

In 1999, Nigella began hosting her own cooking show, Nigella Bites, on Channel 4. This show also led to a best-selling cookbook. She has hosted many other popular cooking shows, including Nigella Feasts in the United States and Nigella Express on BBC Two. Nigella has sold over 8 million cookbooks around the world. She also has her own line of kitchen products called Living Kitchen.

About Nigella Lawson

Early Life and Family

Nigella Lawson was born in 1960 in Wandsworth, London. Her father, Nigel Lawson, was a well-known journalist and politician who served in the government of Margaret Thatcher. Her mother was Vanessa Salmon. Both of her parents came from Jewish families. Nigella's family lived in Kensington and Chelsea.

Nigella's parents divorced when she was 20. She has a brother, Dominic Lawson, who is also a journalist, and two sisters, Horatia and Thomasina. Sadly, her mother and sister Thomasina both died of cancer. Nigella also has a half-brother and a half-sister from her father's second marriage.

Tracing Her Family History

Nigella took part in the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are? to learn more about her family's past. She discovered that her ancestors were Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe and Germany. She also found out that one of her great-great-great grandfathers had moved to England from Amsterdam in the 1830s. His family later helped found the famous J. Lyons and Co. company.

Nigella's Education

Nigella moved schools many times as a child, which she found challenging. She attended several private schools, including Godolphin and Latymer School. She then went to the University of Oxford, where she studied medieval and modern languages. Before university, she spent some time living in Florence, Italy.

Nigella's Career Journey

Starting in Journalism

Nigella began her career in journalism at the age of 23, writing for The Spectator magazine. She started by writing book reviews and later became a restaurant critic. In 1986, she became the deputy literary editor of The Sunday Times.

She later became a freelance writer, contributing to many different newspapers and magazines. She wrote a food column for Vogue and a make-up column for The Times Magazine. She also appeared on TV shows, including What the Papers Say.

First Cookbooks and TV Shows

Nigella had always loved cooking, inspired by her mother. She decided to write a cookbook after seeing a friend struggle with a dessert. Her first book, How to Eat (1998), gave helpful cooking tips and quickly became a best-seller.

Her next book, How to be a Domestic Goddess (2000), focused on baking. This book was also very popular and won her the Author of the Year award at the British Book Awards. Nigella explained that the title was meant to be fun, about enjoying cooking, not about being perfect.

Following her book success, Nigella hosted her own TV cooking show, Nigella Bites, from 1999 to 2001. The show was filmed in her own home and was very well-received. It won awards and led to another best-selling cookbook. The show was also broadcast in the United States, where Nigella became popular. In 2002, she launched her successful kitchenware line, Living Kitchen.

More TV Success

At a book signing in 2004.

In 2003, Nigella helped plan the menu for a lunch hosted by Tony Blair for George W. Bush at Downing Street. Her fifth book, Feast: Food that Celebrates Life, was released in 2004 and was very successful.

In 2006, Nigella hosted Nigella Feasts on the Food Network in the United States. Later that year, she hosted Nigella's Christmas Kitchen on BBC Two in the UK, which was very popular. Her influence was clear when sales of goose fat and prunes increased significantly after she used them in her Christmas recipes!

Nigella Express and Beyond

Her Christmas show led to a new series called Nigella Express in 2007, which focused on quick and easy recipes. This show was also a big hit. The accompanying book, Nigella Express, sold more copies than many other famous chefs' books.

Nigella has continued to be a popular TV personality and author. She has appeared as a judge on cooking shows like Iron Chef America and The Taste. Her book Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home (2010) was linked to her TV series "Nigella Kitchen". In 2012, she released Nigellissima: Instant Italian Inspiration, which also had a BBC TV series.

Recent Appearances

Lawson at Selfridges London, December 2012

In 2015, Nigella hosted Simply Nigella for BBC 2, focusing on comforting and easy-to-make dishes. She also had a fun role as the spokesperson for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.

Nigella has become a regular guest judge on MasterChef Australia, appearing in several seasons since 2016. In 2022, she joined the Australian show My Kitchen Rules as a judge, returning for its thirteenth season in 2023. Her career shows her lasting popularity in both writing and television.

Nigella's Style and Image

Nigella Lawson is not a professionally trained chef, and she prefers not to be called a "celebrity chef." She sees herself as someone who cooks for pleasure and finds it relaxing. When she chooses recipes for her books, she thinks about what people would enjoy eating again and again.

She has a very casual approach to cooking, believing it should be fun and flexible, without too many strict rules. Her recipes are often simple and don't require complicated steps.

Nigella is also known for her charming and friendly way of presenting on TV. Many people find her attractive and relatable. She has been described as "stunningly beautiful, warm, honest, likeable and amazingly normal." She connects with both male and female viewers, and despite being called a "domestic goddess," she often says she doesn't fit that perfect image.

Personal Life

Family Life

Nigella met journalist John Diamond in 1986, and they married in 1992. They had two children, a daughter named Cosima and a son named Bruno. John Diamond sadly passed away from throat cancer in 2001.

Nigella later married art collector Charles Saatchi in 2003. They divorced in 2013.

Beliefs and Interests

Nigella Lawson has said that she wants her children to earn their own money and not rely on her wealth, believing it helps people grow. She 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 after her sister died from the disease. In 2001, she politely turned down an award from Queen Elizabeth II, explaining that she felt she wasn't doing anything as important as saving lives.

Nigella believes that cooking is like life itself. She says that cooking needs both structure and flexibility, and that it's important to learn from mistakes. She sees cooking as a way to become stronger and more self-sufficient.

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 pronunciation of mee-cro-wah-vay (microwave) during an episode of her series Nigella's Cook, Eat, Repeat.

See also

In Spanish: Nigella Lawson para niños