Bake Off's Noel Fielding says Paul and Nigella's "sparky" disagreements make "exciting television"

The Great British Bake Off's Noel Fielding has revealed that Nigella Lawson and Paul Hollywood have "sparky" disagreements on the show. New judge Nigella made her debut on the Channel 4 show last night, succeeding Dame Prue Leith.

Opening up about the dynamic between Paul and Nigella, co-host Noel admitted that sometimes the pair don't see eye-to-eye on the bakes, which makes "quite exciting television".

"But you know what, they sort of, she, they have slightly different tastes, don't they?" he said on the Dish from Waitrose podcast. "She likes very salty kind of savoury things. And he likes more sweet. He's got more of a sweet tooth.

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"So, they always end up resolving it and coming together. But yeah, it's nice when they do. It's quiet, it's quite sparky when they don't agree."

Fellow host Alison Hammond said working with Nigella had been "unbelievable", further calling her "so beautiful".

"When she walked in, I was like that, everyone just stops in their tracks and looks, and you're like, how is she that beautiful? She's so lovely as well. Really nice."

Noel went on to recall: "We have these little sort of shepherd's huts that we all sort of have, and they face each other, and you can just see Nigella in her shepherd's hut currently reading. She's got a stack of books and she sort of lies like Cleopatra would lie. On a chaise longue.

"And sometimes as you're walking by, she summons you in, and you sort of kneel down at her feet- because she lies across the whole thing – so there's nowhere to sit. Like a child in assembly. She's amazing."

The new season's first episode saw viewers also introduced to the new batch of bakers, with a big exit twist taking place at the end.

In Digital Spy's review, we said: "If episode one is just a flavour of what to expect from Nigella, then it is hugely encouraging. She cares deeply, steers wisely, and slots effortlessly into the close-knit team. The show offers a different, but equally passionate and energised, chemistry that we look forward to tuning into weekly."

The Great British Bake Off airs Tuesdays at 8pm Channel 4.

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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International.  Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.