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Nigella Lawson's painful love life from showbiz divorce to husband who died

As fans of The Great British Bake Off prepare to welcome Nigella Lawson as a new judge, the Mirror takes a look at the iconic TV chef's complex, and at times heartbreaking love life

[LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 17: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Nigella Lawson attends a Service of Thanksgiving for the life and work of her father Nigel Lawson, The Right Honourable The Lord Lawson of Blaby at St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey on October 17, 2023 in London, England. Nigel Lawson, Baron Lawson of Blaby, was a Conservative MP and Minister, serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Margaret Thatcher from 1983 until 1989 before being appointed to The House of Lords in 1992. He died aged 91 in April 2023 leaving three children including television cook Nigella Lawson and journalist Dominic Lawson. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)]

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Nigella Lawson is set to join The Great British Bake Off(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo, Getty Images)

With her natural charm and culinary talents, Nigella Lawson appears to live a charmed life, with her most recent appointment only solidifying her status as a true national treasure.

Taking to Instagram today, the 66-year-old food writer and TV cook announced that she will be taking over from Dame Prue Leith on The Great British Bake Off, admitting that she was "lost for words" at the thought of following in such lauded footsteps.

Delighting fans, Nigella, who will be judging alongside long-time Bake Off star Paul Hollywood, wrote: "Of course its daunting to be following in the footsteps of Prue Leith and Mary Berry before her, great dames both, but Im also bubbling with excitement.

"The Great British Bake Off is more than a television programme, its a national treasure and its a huge honour to be entrusted with it. Im just thrilled to be joining the team and all the new bakers to come, I wish the marvellous Prue all the best, and am giddily grateful for the opportunity!"

While she may enjoy a glamorous career and a lifestyle filled with gorgeous dinner parties, Nigella's personal life has been anything but easy, and she's sadly had to navigate some agonising heartbreaks along the way.

[An image depicts a woman in a white dress holding a glass of champagne, standing next to a man in a black outfit with glasses, both of them smiling and possibly posing for a photograph at a formal event.]

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First husband, journalist John Diamond, passed away from throat cancer at only 47.(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

The culinary icon first captured the nation's attention in 1998 with her debut cookbook, How to Eat, before landing her own Channel 4 series, Nigella Bites, a year later.

Throughout her glittering career, the award-winning presenter has experienced soaring triumphs alongside devastating lows. Just three years after her cookbook's breakthrough success, tragedy struck when her first husband, journalist John Diamond, passed away from throat cancer at only 47.

He'd played a crucial role in shaping her brand and cementing her status as a beloved household name. The couple first crossed paths whilst both working at The Telegraph in 1989, tying the knot three years later in a romantic Venice ceremony. "I was a journalist - not a food journalist, but I did do quite a bit of cooking. As a consequence, I cooked for editors quite a bit," Nigella recalled during a BBC Radio 2 interview following his passing.

"John, my late husband, said to me, 'You always talk about food in this really confident way. You should write about it!' So I did.", reports the Mirror. After being diagnosed with oral cancer in 1995, John channelled his experiences into his writing, documenting his journey through his newspaper column and his bestselling memoir, C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too. The respected journalist, who fathered Nigella's children, Cosima and Bruno, was celebrated for his sharp, intellectually stimulating writing.

However, he also harboured ambitions for Nigella, who has acknowledged her inherently reserved nature, to achieve success and encouraged her to step further into the public eye. In a poignant final note to his wife, he expressed great pride in her accomplishments. "How proud I am of you and what you have become. The great thing about us is that we have made us who we are," the touching message read. Tragically, John died in March 2001 whilst his wife was filming her television programme.

Heartbroken, Nigella sought to remain occupied, taking merely a fortnight to mourn before returning to her professional commitments. "I took a fortnight off. But I'm not a great believer in breaks," she told The Telegraph in May 2001. "I don't want to be rattling around inside my own head. I did feel I was spiralling into a Kathy Burke character and tried going out, but I prefer it here. Filming keeps me busy. It absorbs me. Of course, it is displacing certain thoughts, but, in a way, I don't think grieving should be your full-time job. That seems a rather modern idea. To act as if you don't have a life is probably not sensible, especially when you have children."

[EMBARGED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28 File photo dated 27/9/2000 of Nigella Lawson with her husband, columnist and author John Diamond. The TV cook and food writer has said she has never taken her own health for granted after the early deaths of her mother, sister and husband. PA Photo. Issue date: Wednesday October 28, 2020. Speaking to Good Housekeeping magazine she aid she refuses to dwell on her age as long as she remains fit and healthy. See PA story SHOWBIZ Lawson. Photo credit should read: Michael Crabtree/PA Wire]

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The TV chef sought to keep busy while mourning the loss of John(Image: PA)

John's passing sparked an enormous outpouring of grief, with newspapers dedicating extensive coverage to the beloved journalist. Rather than dwelling on public condolences, Nigella preserved press cuttings about her late husband in what she termed her 'Morbidobox'.

"I was pleased because I hadn't foreseen any of it, in the sense that I didn't know John was going to die when he did," she revealed. Beyond the anguish of losing John, Nigella endured further tragedy when both her mother and sister died at devastatingly young ages.

Her sister Thomasina succumbed to breast cancer in 1993, whilst her mum Vanessa lost her battle with liver cancer in 1985 when Nigella was merely 25. Consequently, Nigella chose not to arrange any celebrations for her 60th birthday.

[Nigella Lawson]

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Nigella has sadly lost a number of loved ones far too soon

"I'm not a planner apart from when it comes to food," she confided to Good Housekeeping. "But to be completely honest, I've never been able to take for granted that I'd be alive by this age. My mother died at 48 and my sister at 32. And then John at 47. So, even if I were the sort of person who planned ahead, I don't think I would have seen myself here."

Three years following John's death, Nigella wed affluent art collector and advertising mogul Charles Saatchi in 2003. However, their union crumbled after a decade.

Their relationship infamously came to a head in 2013 when they were pictured by the Sunday People outside a Mayfair restaurant - with Saatchi's hand gripped around her throat.

Following a huge backlash, Saatchi released a statement claiming he was 'innocently helping to clean her nose'. The 82-year-old art collector, who accepted a police caution for assault following the incident, said: "Even domestic goddesses sometimes have a bit of snot in their nose. I was trying to fish it out."

The multi-millionaire claimed they were engaged in an 'intense debate' about children, with him adding: "I held Nigella's neck repeatedly while attempting to emphasise my point. There was no grip. It was a playful tiff." Later that year, Nigella lifted the lid on the 'emotional abuse' she suffered at the hands of Saatchi as she provided evidence in court during a fraud trial of two of her personal assistants.

She claimed: "He told everyone that he was taking cocaine out of my nose. But what actually happened was that somebody walked by with a very cute baby in a stroller and I said, 'I am so looking forward to having grandchildren', and he grabbed me by the throat and said, 'I am the only person you should be concerned with. 'I am the only person who should be giving you pleasure'. That is what happened."

Speaking to Michael McIntyre on his chat show in 2014, Nigella reflected: "I have had better times. It's spring, and I am feeling better, and I am very happy to be here. I have been alive longer than you, so I know life has its dips, and it can get better, and you can't fight it."

[Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi attend a dinner hosted by Joseph Group CEO Sara Ferrero and Vogue UK editor-at-large Fiona Golfar in 2012]

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Her marriage to Charles Saatchi crumbled after a decade(Image: Getty)

In 2019, she spoke candidly to The Irish Times about the 'trauma' she endured during the breakdown. "It was generally about feeling exposed and under attack," she revealed. "In a way, it would have been much better for me to be able to speak openly."

Whether or not Nigella is currently in a relationship remains unclear, as she tends to keep her personal life firmly private.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com. Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads

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