Even as a new ‘Great British Bake Off’ judge, Nigella Lawson can’t escape the memes

Alison Hammond, Nigella Lawson and Paul Hollywood on the season 17 premiere of "The Great British Bake Off."Patch Dolan / Channel 4ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleSept. 25, 2026, 5:02 PM EDTBy Kayla HayempourYears after mispronouncing “microwave” on BBC’s “Cook, Eat, Repeat,” food writer Nigella Lawson has found herself at the center of yet another viral frenzy.

This time, the response has largely come from fans of the popular competition show “The Great British Bake Off,” who are poking fun at Lawson for a different on-air quirk: How she bites into baked goods.

“The Great British Baking Show,” which is known as “The Great British Bake Off” (or GBBO) overseas, first launched in 2010 on the BBC. It has since exploded into a beloved, global phenomenon with a fervent fan base.

Lawson replaced Prue Leith as a judge on season 17 of the baking show, which aired Tuesday in the U.K. and will premiere Friday in the U.S. on Netflix. Longtime viewers were saddened by Leith’s decision to exit the series, even though the 86-year-old said in her announcement that it “feels like the right time to step back.”

Overall, Lawson’s debut has been well received. But many fans were quick to point out a mannerism they just couldn’t get past.

“Apparently Nigella Lawson is capable of unhinging her jaw to swallow her prey,” one user wrote on X, alongside a photo of her taking a bite of a cake.

Another said: “I can’t stop laughing at the way Nigella eats these cakes like she’s eating as if she’s never eaten before.”

Some posts included harsher jabs, such as describing Lawson’s eating as “really weird,” though not all the content was mean spirited.

Several parody videos of people shoveling dessert into their mouths also circulated on social media.

Still, Lawson’s bigger bites didn’t hinder overall enthusiasm for her presence on the show. Critics have praised Lawson’s culinary expertise, and many fans online have described her as a “perfect” addition to the show.

Giuseppe Dell’Anno, a former “Bake Off” winner, told BBC Radio 4’s Today that Lawson is a “nice fit with the ethos of the program.”

Her arrival in the white tent was also welcomed by longtime judge Paul Hollywood.

“It was lovely to see Nigella come into the tent,” he told The Guardian last week. “She fitted in beautifully — not just with me but with the whole team. She picked up the ‘Bake Off ‘vibe straight away.”

And as for Lawson herself? Enjoyment is all part of the “Bake Off” experience.

“I don’t have many skills,” she joked in the first episode, “but eating is one of them.”