The Great British Bake Off is back and there’s a new judge in the tent: the one and only Nigella Lawson. Her debut is already being hailed by critics as a success, but is it any surprise when so much of her brand thrives on many of the same things that make people love Bake Off?

Lawson has always centred pleasure and amateurishness in her cooking – mistakes are always welcome and nothing should ever be taken too seriously. Her humour is playful and warm, always suggestive but never fully blue. The aesthetics of her culinary world are inviting and homely in a very British way.

Jenny Lawson, an expert in women and food, explains how this aspirational fantasy of domesticity aligns with Bake Off’s premise. Despite being a competition, there is a lovely camaraderie between the show’s rivals. Bake Off has also always revelled in innuendo, from soggy bottoms to firm buns. This confection is a pastel-coloured, sugar-covered delight.

However, both Nigella and Bake Off bolster the idea of femininity as warm, domestic, intimate and attainable while being polished, traditional and privileged. Both shape who gets to be seen as the ideal home cook and what their spaces should look like – something past and present contestants who don’t fit this mould have had to navigate in the face of fan vitriol.

But I do love Nigella and her wink-wink bawdiness, so I will be watching this season. Reply to our poll to let us know who’s your favourite British TV chef and what it is........

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