logo
Nigella Lawson explains why she isn't a sex symbol: ‘I don't get the whole thing'

Nigella Lawson explains why she isn't a sex symbol: ‘I don't get the whole thing'

Yahoo28-03-2025

Nigella Lawson has admitted that she's baffled by her sex symbol status.
The TV cook, 65, who has routinely topped 'sexiest celebrity chef' rankings throughout her career, said she has a 'lazy' beauty regime and is shocked people recognise her in public.
Lawson claimed she frequently has unbrushed hair, is covered in burn marks from her oven, and only manages to keep up a glamorous persona thanks to the magic of television.
Speaking on the Salon Confidential podcast to celebrity stylist Andreas Wild, Lawson said: 'I don't get the whole sexy thing. Often I am not wearing makeup at all.'
'If I've done my own hair, I don't brush it, I mess it up. Instead of brushing it, I tip my head upside down. I do try to do it sometimes, but I'm incredibly lazy. If people recognise me, I'm astonished.'
Lawson admitted she feels 'offended to be recognised' in public and recalled a recent encounter on the London Underground where fans were uncertain if it was her.
''I was on the Tube the other day and someone said, 'Is it you?,'' she said. 'I said, 'God, I am looking such a fright. I'm almost offended to be recognised.''
Lawson's first cookbook, How to Eat, was released when she was 38, but the celebrity chef didn't make her TV debut for a further two years.
Back in 2018, the cook revealed she didn't want to appear on screen 'as a young woman' because 'I didn't want that thing where attention is paid to one's physical being.'
Echoing her most recent interview, she added: 'TV is glamourising. I always think I must be a bit of a messy disappointment when people meet me in real life.'
The same year, the food writer denied intentionally using innuendos in her work and accused audiences of 'projecting' on to her.
Quoting Lawson, Australian TV host Hamish MacDonald read: 'My empty vessels are ready to be loaded, I adore the way it comes bulging up over the rim'.
Noticeably irritated, the chef, who is estimated to have sold more than three million cookery books worldwide, insisted MacDonald's suggestion that she deliberately uses innuendo was wrong.
Appearing lost for words, she replied: 'Yes but why, tell me this – it's an empty vessel… When I say it…'
Macdonald interjected and again appeared to imply the use of language was intentional.
'You have this way of saying things,' he insisted.
Hitting back, Lawson replied: 'I have this way of people projecting things on me. I'm so not. I don't get it. I need you to explain to me.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Billy Ray Cyrus Calls Girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley the 'Love of My Life' in Sweet 60th Birthday Tribute
Billy Ray Cyrus Calls Girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley the 'Love of My Life' in Sweet 60th Birthday Tribute

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Billy Ray Cyrus Calls Girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley the 'Love of My Life' in Sweet 60th Birthday Tribute

Billy Ray Cyrus dedicated a sweet birthday tribute to Elizabeth Hurley on June 10 In her own post, Hurley said she was "in love" Cyrus and Hurley made their relationship public in AprilBilly Ray Cyrus is celebrating his love. On Tuesday, June 10, Cyrus dedicated a sweet tribute to girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley on her 60th birthday on Instagram. In the photo, Hurley is seen sitting on Cyrus' lap and they're both smiling wide. "Happy birthday to the love of my life ❤️," he captioned the post. Hurley also marked her birthday on Instagram by posing nude in a grassy field and wearing a necklace as she wrapped her legs and arms around herself. "Happy birthday to me! This year has already been a wild ride; my 30th year of working with the Estée Lauder Companies, my 30th year as the Global Ambassador of the @esteelaudercompanies Breast Cancer Campaign, the 20th anniversary of @elizabethhurleybeach and… I'm in love," wrote Hurley, who went public with her relationship with Cyrus, 63, in April. "Feeling very blessed and grateful for having the best friends & family in the world," she added, writing that the photo was "taken this afternoon… in my birthday suit xxx." On May 24, Cyrus and Hurley made their red carpet debut as a couple in Rome for the opening of the Orizzonti/Rosso exhibition, staged by the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti, at Palazzo Barberini. Two days later, the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer shared behind-the-scenes footage of the couple's outing together that night on Instagram and referred to Hurley as "my beautiful girlfriend" in the caption. At a breast cancer research event on May 13, Hurley was asked what she has in common with Cyrus and she said, "We are very happy, we both love country music, we both love the country, and we both love our kids. We're happy together." Hurley and Cyrus first met while filming Christmas in Paradise in 2022, and though they had chemistry, they didn't reconnect until several years later when she reached out during a rough time in Cyrus' life. They hard-launched their relationship in April. The actress was previously married twice, to businessman Arun Nayar from 2007 to 2010 and Australian cricketer Shane Warne until 2013. She shares son Damian with businessman Steve Bing Meanwhile, Cyrus shares five kids with his ex-wife Tish Cyrus: Brandi, Trace, Miley, Braison and Noah. He also has a son, Christopher Cody, with ex-girlfriend Kristin Luckey. After he and Tish split in 2022, Cyrus tied the knot with Australian singer Firerose the following year. They quietly divorced seven months later. Read the original article on People

Boho-chic LA retreat in tight-knit enclave where rock legends like Neil Young once lived lists for $4.99M
Boho-chic LA retreat in tight-knit enclave where rock legends like Neil Young once lived lists for $4.99M

New York Post

time3 hours ago

  • New York Post

Boho-chic LA retreat in tight-knit enclave where rock legends like Neil Young once lived lists for $4.99M

Living like a rock star is all it's cracked up to be in Topanga, California's 'Egg House.' The four-bedroom, five-bathroom listing, reported by Top Ten Real Estate Deals, is part of the tight-knit community that Neil Young, Jim Morrison, Joni Mitchell, several members of The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt have all called home. Jennifer Tucker of Compass holds the $4.99 million listing. The 3,350-square-foot home did not earn its reputation from any former famous occupants, however. The 'Egg House' moniker came from the unconventional, new age inspirations behind its construction. 8 The Topanga home enjoys mountain vistas. Jam Press/Dan Shetron 8 Stone floors and hand-plastered walls add to the home's artisanal aesthetic. Jam Press/Anthony Barcelo 8 The artists behind the custom-built home were inspired by ideas of new life. Jam Press/Dan Shetron The home's builders, two artists, were inspired by the concept of an embryo. Chad Hagerman and Allison Ochmanek of Rascal Makers built the residence as a symbol of 'the origin of life, potential and transformation,' according to the outlet. The retreat, perched above a canyon, boasts an open-concept layout that exudes warmth, with hand-plastered walls, artisan stone, walnut millwork and antique oak flooring. The serene interiors include a chef's kitchen with walnut cabinetry and stone countertops, as well as a large family room with access to an outdoor deck. 8 Homes in Topanga have long attracted artists and nature-lovers. Jam Press/Anthony Barcelo 8 The steel and walnut staircase leads to four upstairs bedrooms. Jam Press/Anthony Barcelo 8 The serene primary bedroom features antique oak flooring. Jam Press/Anthony Barcelo 8 The home's stonework extends into its bathrooms. Jam Press/Anthony Barcelo Plaster walls and large, circular windows add to the organic feel of the home, while cement floors and steel accents give it an industrial, brutalist edge. A steel and walnut staircase connects to the second floor with a spa-like primary suite and three ensuite bedrooms. A subterranean floor includes a two-car garage. The 1.25-acre property enjoys unobstructed views of the surrounding vistas, with an orchard of fruit trees and native plant gardens cultivated with California and Australian ecosystems in mind. There are also two additional guest houses perfect for an artist's studio or fitness space. 8 Joni Mitchell, a frequent Topanga resident, plays guitar at her Los Angeles home in 1970. Getty Images The area around the property has a long legacy among artists and creatives. The community, nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, served as a popular hippy oasis amid the back-to-nature movement of the 1960s and 70s. Artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell called Topanga home in that era, and Marvin Gaye once described it as 'a place where I can create my masterpiece.' The home is just a short drive to the former site of the Topanga Corral, a famous rock 'n' roll roadhouse venue — since burned down — that inspired The Doors' hit song 'Roadhouse Blues,' hosted a Canned Heat live album and saw performances by Etta James and Linda Ronstadt.

Do dogs need people to survive? The truth might hurt.
Do dogs need people to survive? The truth might hurt.

National Geographic

time3 hours ago

  • National Geographic

Do dogs need people to survive? The truth might hurt.

A miniature dachshund survived in the wild for 529 days. Could your dog? Experts say it depends on these traits. A group of dogs greets their human family on a farm. Photograph by Kendrick Brinson, Nat Geo Image Collection In late April, a miniature dachshund named Valerie was found healthy and alert on Kangaroo Island, just off the coast of Adelaide, Australia—after she had been missing for 529 days. Surprisingly, Valerie, who had become separated from her family during a vacation to the island in November 2023, had even gained about four pounds in the wild. 'She went out as a skinny little sausage dog and came back as a rippling mass of muscle,' says Jared Karran, a director at the nonprofit Kangala Wildlife Rescue, who released footage of Valerie's rescue. 'Just the healthiest dog you'd ever want to see—perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect skin.' During her time in the bush, Valerie became somewhat of a celebrity, and fans rejoiced when they learned she had reunited with her family in May. But some wondered how she did it. Was she just lucky, or can pet dogs—animals that have lived and evolved alongside humans for thousands of years—really survive without us? Well, it depends on who you ask. From scuba diving to set-jetting 'I don't think that [the story] is that outrageously surprising or amazing,' says Jessica Pierce, a bioethicist who focuses on the human-animal relationship. Pierce wrote 'A Dog's World,' which delves into what might happen to dogs if humans disappeared from Earth. 'It is amazing that she did this because she lived the first part of her life as a pampered pet dog, so really hadn't developed the skills that she would have needed to survive on her own,' Pierce clarifies. 'But obviously those were instinctually intact.' Vanessa Woods, the director of the Duke Puppy Kindergarten at the Duke Canine Cognition Lab, and author of 'Genius of Dogs,' isn't so sure. 'I have a dog right now who would probably not last a minute in the wild,' she says, adding that she believes some dogs would adapt while others would sit and wait for their owners to rescue them. 'I think some dogs would be great and some dogs would die.' Children play with puppies outside the town visitor center in Seymour, Indiana. Photograph by Andrea Bruce, Nat Geo Image Collection Pierce and Woods agree that certain characteristics would make an individual dog more apt to survive without people. First off, Valerie would have needed a pretty high IQ to protect herself from predators, secure food and water, and shelter herself from the elements, Pierce says. 'Figuring those things out in a new environment is something a lot of humans would find challenging,' she adds. Luckily, there probably weren't any large predators for Valerie to deal with on Kangaroo Island, Woods says, but she likely would have had to dodge serpents like the venomous tiger snake and pygmy copperhead. 'She kind of had a natural aptitude,' surmises the Australian-born Woods. 'But then she also would have gotten lucky because let me tell you, there are parts of the Australian bush where she would have lasted about two days.' In most places, dogs with stronger hunting drives would generally fare better, Woods says. For instance, a Jack Russell terrier that's been bred and trained to use this skill regularly would be more successful than a show husky that hasn't honed the art of catching prey, she notes. 'You don't really want dogs to hunt and kill every living thing in your neighborhood, including a neighbor's cat,' she says. 'So there would be some dogs [where] the skills that would help them survive have been watered down, really bred out of them.' However, Pierce emphasizes that these instincts have never truly disappeared. 'Even a pet dog who's never had to hunt for food, but always just had a bowl of kibble placed in front of her twice a day, still knows how to hunt,' she says. 'Those instincts are still there.' Dogs bred for extreme traits, such as short legs or long or large bodies, might not do well either, Pierce hypothesizes. For instance, it's generally harder for short-legged dogs like dachshunds to run long distances. Plus, these extreme traits can eventually lead to genetic health issues like hip dysplasia and chronic pain, she says. On the other hand, smaller dogs like Valerie could have more of an advantage in some settings, Pierce adds. 'They're not going to be quite as visible and easy to spot for a predator,' she says. Plus, small dogs need fewer calories and could potentially survive on small insects like grasshoppers instead of relying on taking down larger prey, she explains. In general, dogs also possess a few traits helpful to wilderness survival. For instance, they 'can and will eat anything they can get their paws on,' Pierce notes. Plus, their behavior is flexible, making them more adaptable to new environments and situations. But Valerie's success could have also come down to personality. 'It's hard to put your finger on exactly what it is about her, but she obviously has this belief in herself,' Karran says. 'Nothing seems to faze her.' So, do dogs need us? Stray dogs, which number around 200 million worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, live fairly independent of humans. 'A relatively small slice of the world's dogs live as pets, as captive animals,' Pierce says, noting that stray dogs use their instinct to survive in the wild. But Woods says life isn't easy for these free-ranging pups. For one, young strays have a high mortality rate—one study from India found that only about 19 percent made it to reproductive age (which is generally around 6 months old). Still, Pierce believes that if humans disappeared from the planet tomorrow, dogs would do just fine. 'Dogs would have a pretty good shot because of how adaptive they are,' she says. 'They'd have, I would say, as good a shot as any other animal in making it without us.' Woods questions, though, how long they would make it without our waste to pick at. After all, early dogs survived by scavenging trash around human settlements, and that's how most feral dogs make it today. 'The last 14 to 40,000 years, that's what they've been surviving on, basically,' she says. But regardless of whether dogs could survive without us, would these social animals miss our companionship? 'I think a lack of any social interaction would probably be felt as something missing,' Pierce says. 'I'm not sure there would be loneliness, but there might be.' However, she says dogs don't need humans to meet their social quota. They can also bond with other dogs and even other animals. Still, 'your dog who's curled up next to the couch with you would certainly miss you,' she says. 'But dogs as a species…would be okay without us.' This paradox might be best summed up by the way Valerie—a dog who did just fine for herself in the wild for nearly a year and a half—warmed up to her family immediately during their reunion. 'It just took a split second and you could see her recognize each one individually,' Karran says. 'She was so happy; she jumped up on them licking them, cuddling them, running around. It was just such a beautiful moment.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store