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Nigella Lawson opens up about never taking life for granted

Photo credit: DAVID VENNI
Photo credit: DAVID VENNI

From Good Housekeeping

Nigella Lawson is acutely aware of taking nothing for granted - and she's loathe to complain about getting any older.

For the December issue of Good Housekeeping, Nigella, spoke to us about her Christmas plans, what she's learned about herself in 2020 and her outlook for the future.

“I’m not a planner – apart from when it comes to food!," she says. "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 [Diamond, her late husband] at 47. So, even if I were the sort of person who planned ahead, I don’t think I would have seen myself here… I kind of think you can’t do anything about it [ageing] so why complain?

Photo credit: DAVID VENNI
Photo credit: DAVID VENNI

"I also know what the alternative is, so it feels wrong when you’ve been surrounded by people who have died young to say ‘My hair’s awful, I’ve got to get my roots done’ or ‘My hands look like lizards’. So I don’t dwell on it. As long as you’re healthy, that really is the most important thing."

With Christmas looking very different for all of us this year and uncertainty about who we can actually spend it with, Nigella revealed her dream scenario for the festive season.

Photo credit: DAVID VENNI
Photo credit: DAVID VENNI



"Being with my children, a lot of cooking, a lot of eating and lots of lying about," she says. "I love watching films with them and I enjoy not having things in the timetable. I'm also a bit cliched and like having the fire burning and lots of tealights and fairy lights. It's about turning my home into this cocooning, magical place where it feels a bit different from the rest of the year."

Nigella also revealed that lockdown made her feel more connected as she helped people with their dinner options via Twitter - and spoke about the enjoyment she gets from working.

Photo credit: David Venni
Photo credit: David Venni

"There are days when I think ‘Oh my gosh, I could lie down all day’, but I enjoy [working] because I feel like myself when I’m cooking and writing. And I feel very lucky for the connection it gives me to other people. That came to the fore during lockdown, when I started helping people with their evening meals on Twitter. It was odd because I was living remotely, but feeling much more connected.”

Read the full interview in the December issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale now. It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect.

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