Nigella Lawson is joining The Great British Bake Off as a judge, replacing Prue Leith and bringing renewed attention to the long-running programme. She says she wanted a more collaborative role after years of working largely alone, while Paul Hollywood says she quickly understood the show’s tone and fitted seamlessly into the team.

Lawson and Hollywood describe an easy, teasing relationship, despite reports of tension between them. They bonded before filming over drinks and food, with Lawson calling Hollywood “Professor Precision”; she also met the wider cast socially beforehand, while both emphasise that their contrasting personalities complement each other.