Nigella Lucy Lawson British journalist, TV presenter, cookbook author. Date of Birth: 06.01.1960 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Nigella Lucy Lawson

Nigella Lucy Lawson is a British journalist, television presenter, and author of cookbooks. She was born on January 6, 1960, in London. Her name was given by her grandmother. Her father, Nigel Lawson, served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Margaret Thatcher's administration for six years, and her mother, Vanessa Salmon, was an heiress to the J. Lyons and Co. empire, which included a network of restaurants, hotels, and food industry enterprises.

Nigella attended nine different schools in nine years. While she was a diligent student, her behavior left much to be desired. Eventually, her parents settled on the Godolphin and Latymer School for Girls in London, where she finally found stability and demonstrated academic inclinations. After graduating from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, with a degree in Medieval and Modern Languages, Nigella began her career as a book reviewer and restaurant critic. In 1986, she became the Deputy Literary Editor of The Sunday Times.

Following her tenure at The Sunday Times, Nigella became a freelance journalist, writing for various newspapers and magazines. From her childhood, Nigella had a keen understanding of cuisine, observing her mother's excellent cooking skills and passion for the process. One day, she witnessed a hostess breaking down in tears over a failed crème caramel dessert and had the idea to write a cookbook. In 1998, her first cookbook, "How to Eat," was published and became a bestseller in the UK, selling 300,000 copies. Two years later, Nigella released her second book, "How to be a Domestic Goddess," which won the British Book Awards' Author of the Year.

In 2000, Nigella landed her own cooking show on Channel 4 called "Nigella Bites," accompanied by another cookbook of the same name. The show was highly successful and earned her the Guild of Food Writers Award. However, the ratings declined in 2005, leading to the show's cancellation. In 2006, she released the program "Nigella Feasts" in the United States, focusing on banquets and dinner parties. Shortly after, "Nigella's Christmas Kitchen" aired on BBC Two, followed by the series "Nigella Express."

Nigella has also launched her own line of kitchenware, called "Living Kitchen," valued at £7 million. Additionally, she has sold over 3 million copies of her books worldwide. Despite being dubbed the "queen of porn food" by critics due to her flirtatious manner on-screen, Nigella openly admits her fondness for sexy lingerie, stockings, and suspenders. Fans often discuss not only her recipes but also her appearance, with many agreeing that she looks stunning in red lingerie.

Nigella never received formal culinary training, and she considers cooking a pleasure rather than a profession. She dislikes being labeled as a "star chef" and does not consider herself an expert. However, her audience values her opinions on food, and positive reviews during her shows lead to increased sales. Nigella is also an advocate for the Slow Food movement, promoting the revival and preservation of national gastronomic traditions.

Nigella has been married twice. Her first husband, journalist and presenter John Diamond, with whom she has two children, Bruno and Cosima, passed away in 2001 from esophageal cancer. Two years later, she married Charles Saatchi, the co-founder and co-owner of one of the world's largest advertising agencies and a passionate collector of contemporary art.