Great British Bake Off 2026: Nigella Lawson makes debut but baffles fans with her 'weird' way of eating cake
Nigella describes being in the tent as a 'dream'Nigella Lawson has made her debut as a Great British Bake Off judge – but her appearance quickly raised eyebrows for a very unexpected reason.
The TV chef has been brought in to judge this year’s bakers alongside Paul Hollywood following Prue Leith’s exit from the show.
Viewers have been counting down the days to see Nigella in the iconic white tent.
She’s famed for her evocative and flirtatious language when whipping up a dish in front of the cameras.
But what fans weren’t expecting was Nigella’s “weird” way of eating a slice of cake.
Great British Bake Off’s Nigella Lawson baffles fans
Fans watching the brand new series of GBBO were struck by the unusual way Nigella eats cake. She was seen trying multiple cakes during the hour-long show, but fans were baffled by her ‘technique’.
First, Nigella was seen trying the bakers’ attempt at a stout cake. This was her Signature Dish. She then nibbled on 12 coffee and walnut cakes in the Technical Challenge, before trying the contestants’ self-portrait Showstoppers.
Like her co-star Paul, she used a fork to sample them all. However, fans felt Nigella was appearing to “struggle” to actually get the cake into her mouth.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, one viewer said: “Why is Nigella finding it so hard to eat? I’ve never seen someone struggle to eat a piece of cake so much!”
Another fan added: “It’s very strange lol.”
A third remarked: “Watching Nigella eat cake really weirdly is . . . really weird.”
And someone else said: “….she seems to have great difficulty in getting the fork close to her mouth?”
One person wondered whether Nigella was worried about spoiling her lipstick as she tucked into the cakes. Maybe?!
Nigella admits it’s ‘her dream’ to judge on GBBO
Strange eating techniques aside, Nigella’s presence in the GBBO tent has been welcomed by viewers.
The show began with Paul and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding saying goodbye to Prue. Nigella then suddenly appeared in the garden and Alison asked if she’d like to be a judge.
Nigella told the GBBO stars: “You know, it is the absolute dream. I am in!”
Alison then introduced Nigella to this year’s 12 contestants, describing her as a “the legendary, the iconic Nigella Lawson”.
Once the credits had rolled, fans were quick to share thoughts. And it was overwhelmingly positive.
One said: “Nigella is breath of fresh air to #GBBO She’s tv gold.” And another added: “Love the new bakers, and Nigella was great as the new judge. It’s properly autumn now!”
What did you think?
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