Nigella Lawson was praised by viewers of The Great British Bake Off for challenging fellow judge Paul Hollywood during episode two on Tuesday night.
The second episode of the series saw 25-year-old baker Danni become the first contestant eliminated from the tent during Biscuit week after failing to impress the judges with her American-style cookies and biscuit mosaic.
Danni was left teary during an emotional farewell as she reflected on "making friends with a group of strangers" during her time on the show.
While Danni departed, viewers quickly noticed tension between the judges, noting that Lawson and Hollywood appeared anything but friends as the TV cook repeatedly challenged her fellow judge throughout the episode.
The Great British Bake Off is a British television baking competition broadcast on Channel 4, in which amateur bakers compete in a series of rounds to impress a panel of judges. Lawson, 66, made her debut as a judge on the program last week, joining long-standing judge Hollywood on the panel.
Tense exchanges in the tent
Early in the episode, baker Moyin explained to the judges that he planned to use miso in his cookies. Hollywood commented, "It’s unusual to use miso in cookies," prompting Lawson to push back immediately, replying, "No it isn’t the young people are doing it a lot."
Later in the show, Hollywood described one baker's sweet creation as "naughty." Lawson challenged his terminology, stating, "I don't approve as referring to food as naughty. We have to take our pleasures where we can in life."
The friction continued as the judges deliberated over which baker to send home. Hollywood joked, "How are we going to decide? Arm wrestle? I'd let you win." Lawson declined to play along, responding, "No you wouldn't, I'm the one that lifts weights."
Viewer reactions and Prue Leith comparisons
Viewers took to social media platform Twitter to express delight at Lawson's assertive style, with many comparing her approach to former judge Prue Leith, who spent nine years on the show alongside Hollywood.
One fan wrote, "I like Nigella telling Paul off," while another posted, "The more digs Nigella gives to Paul, it is more probable she will take over the show." Another viewer remarked, "Nigella has offered more feedback and challenged Paul more in 2 episodes than Prue did in 9 years."
Other fans commented on the dynamic between the two TV personalities. Posts included: "Episode 2 and I get a sense Paul and Nigella are not besties"; "Nigella cutting the knees out from under Paul in every episode is going to hugely entertaining, isn’t it"; "The lack of chemistry between Nigella and Paul is very apparent"; and "You can tell Nigella & Paul don’t vibe lmfao."
Further comments highlighted the contrast in judging styles, with viewers writing, "Nigella really isn't a fan of Paul Hollywood, is she?" and "Paul and Nigella is something else as a duo." One fan added, "I can see why Paul Hollywood doesn’t like nigella bc she is giving proper constructive criticism unlike him," while another joked, "is it a Nigella hug rather than a Paul handshake now?"
Reservations about joining the show
Earlier on Tuesday evening, Lawson and Hollywood appeared together on BBC's evening magazine program The One Show in their first live television interview as a judging duo. Despite rumours of a "bitter battle of egos" between them, the pair put on a friendly display in the studio.
During the interview, Lawson admitted she initially had a "list of reasons" not to take the Bake Off job after being approached for the role. The TV cook confessed she was not convinced she was right for the position because she did not want to be "fake."
Lawson explained: "I had many reservations. When I had my first meeting with them, I had a long list of why I shouldn't do it, because I felt like I had to make it clear that I am not a technical baker. I'm a home baker."
She continued: "I didn't want them to feel they'd come to the wrong shop. I wanted to say what I felt I could do and what I felt I couldn't do. And I said, there'll be no hard feelings after this meeting, if you feel I'm not what you need because I think there's nothing more anxiety provoking than thinking that people expect something from you that you can't give, and I don't ever want to be a fake person and pretend I know something I don't."
Focus on taste and texture
Reflecting on her career in food writing, Lawson noted that she came to baking later in life. She said: "You know, I wrote, it was meant to be ironically titled How to Be a Domestic Goddess when I was 40, so I hadn't really baked because I was a cook."
She added: "Then I thought, this is easy. I don't know why everyone pretends it's so difficult, which is true if it's home baking. You know, you can make it simple, and what interests me is taste and texture."
Lawson, a widely published author and food broadcaster known for her bestselling cookbooks, went on to praise Hollywood's professional expertise, describing him as a "genius" in the kitchen. She said: "Paul is a genius, and he does it. He just looks at a cake and he says that needed to be another five degrees hotter and three minutes longer. And he knows all that."
Explaining her own contribution to the panel, Lawson said: "What I feel like I can do is eat, and then try and explain what the taste is like or what the texture is like for people who are home. But I just think I wanted them to know that that's it."
Hollywood, who has served as head baker at major UK hotels and judged the competition since its launch in 2010, returned the compliment during the interview. Praising her ability to communicate with home viewers, Hollywood added: "And you can tell she imparts that beautifully, though. You can see it on Bake Off."
