Nigella Lawson is believed to be one of the main contenders to become a new judge on The Great British Bake Off. The star is being put forward as the prime name to replace Prue Leith and appear alongside Paul Hollywood.
The involvement of Nigella, 66, in the Channel 4 show is understood to be in the final stages of discussions, according to The Sun. The paper reported that it is hoped her "cheeky banter" will liven up the popular series and make her a "sure-fire hit".
It comes after Prue, 86, announced this week that she was stepping down from judging on the show after nine years - having herself replaced Mary Berry. In her statement shared to Instagram, she said: "Now feels like the right time to step back."
Nigella would be joining judge Paul, 58, as well as hosts Noel Fielding, 52, and Alison Hammond, 50. The programme, which launched in 2010, last aired in September and is believed to start shooting again in April. Here's why the foodie favourite would be a shoo-in for the role…
TV career
Nigella is no stranger to dazzling on screen, and rose to fame by fronting her own Channel 4 cooking show, Nigella Bites. She has also participated in cooking competitions, including as a host of US series The Taste.
Further still, Nigella is famed for her innuendos and catchphrases that regularly make headlines. Alongside the iconic "meecro-wah-vay" - in place of microwave - there are her suggestive descriptions of items like sausages.
© Corbis via Getty ImagesFood know-how
While Nigella began her career as a journalist at The Telegraph, she was soon making a name for herself within the world of cooking. She first became a household name with her debut cookbook, How To Eat, despite not being formally trained in the kitchen.
Nigella went on to front numerous food programmes - both in the UK and internationally - and has sold eight million copies of her books worldwide. She continues to regularly share recipe inspiration with her three million fans on Instagram.
Internationally famous
"Nigella's recognised worldwide," an insider told The Sun, as one of the reasons why she was being strongly considered for the GBBO opportunity. This will be important to Channel 4, given that the show is also broadcast in countries like the US and Australia on Netflix, where it is known as The Great British Baking Show.
What's more, in recent years, much of Nigella's TV work has taken her overseas. She has been a guest judge on MasterChef Australia and also a main judge on Australia's My Kitchen Rules.
© Toronto Star via Getty ImagesShooting location
The fact that GBBO is filmed in Welford Park in Berkshire, may also be rather appealing to Nigella, who lives in a £5 million mews house in London’s Chelsea. The series usually shoots over a 12-week period in spring.
Nigella may want to stay closer to home than her Australia-based jobs normally, allow given that she has two children - daughter Cosima, 31, and 29-year-old son Bruno - who are both understood to be based in the UK. They lost their journalist father, John Diamond, in 2001 when he passed away from throat cancer.
