Nigella Lawson, 63, shocks fans by admitting she knows nothing about air fryers – and has JUST used one for the first time

• ‘Nigella’s Amsterdam Christmas’ will air at 8pm on December 21 on BBC One
• Read more: Nigella reveals the one household chore she has NEVER done

Sultry screen chef Nigella Lawson has shocked fans by admitting she knows ‘nothing’ about air fryers – and has only just used one for the first time.

The food writer, 63, made the surprise revelation on her one-off BBC special, ‘Nigella’s Amsterdam Christmas’, set to air Thursday, December 21 at 8pm.

According to The Sun, the acclaimed food writer has long preferred a traditional cooking oven over the modern version, which works by by circulating hot air around the food and requires minimal oil and fat.

Shocking fans, she said: ‘I know nothing of the world of air fryers’.

In the one-hour festive show, Nigella will reveal her method for making crispy chicken thighs in an air fryer, as part of her special Indonesian biryani recipe.

She added: ‘I have a little something extra for my biryani. When I cooked the chicken thighs they were skinless and that is because I removed the skin and whopped them at max in the air fryer to make chicken crackling to sprinkle over the top’.

Sultry screen chef Nigella Lawson, 63, has shocked fans by admitting she knows ‘nothing’ about air fryers

The acclaimed food writer has long preferred a traditional cooking oven over the modern version, which works by by circulating hot air around the food and requires minimal oil and fat (Pictured: Air fryer/stock image)

The London-born food journalist – who’s famed for her pin-up looks and domestic prowess – made yet another astonishing confession.

Nigella has stated there is one household chore she will never do – the ironing. 

In fact, such is the TV cook’s hatred for the task, she doesn’t even own an ironing board, opting for a steamer instead.

Speaking to Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2 on December 15, Nigella revealed: ‘I steam, I don’t iron. And as you can see, I’m not a particularly uncrumpled person in my natural state.’ 

She added: ‘Also, I seem to have bits of cake batter on my sleeve.’

Ms Ball was so shocked that she asked her guest three times whether the admission was true.

But while ditching an iron is anathema to some, it appears to be picking up steam with millennials. Lakeland’s 2023 Trends Report revealed that 30 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds don’t own an iron.

When asked why, a fifth said their clothes don’t need ironing while another fifth said the chore was simply ‘not important’.

The food writer made the surprise revelation on her one-off BBC special, ‘Nigella’s Amsterdam Christmas ‘, set to air Thursday, December 21

Nigella also revealed that, apart from ironing, wrapping Christmas presents is ‘the job I hate the most’, despite once selling wrapping paper featuring the artwork from her cookery book How To Be A Domestic Goddess.

She said: ‘It’s just that I’m so incompetent that everything goes wrong. I always have bits of hair stuck under the Sellotape, it’s a nightmare.

‘My late husband John always used to say I was the only person who could wrap up a book and make it look like it was a bottle of wine.’

While this might come as a surprise, it is not the first time the TV chef has admitted to skipping more laborious household tasks.

Earlier this year, Ms Lawson revealed she has ‘fallen out of the habit’ of big dinner parties.

She told the Times: ‘I’ll have a person or a couple of people over quite often and I keep planning to have people round in a proper grown-up way but I haven’t yet. I must!

‘I feel a bit guilty because people have had me for dinner and I haven’t had them back.’

Nigella is not necessarily one for sticking to Christmas tradition, either.

She told The Sunday Times: ‘Much as I love a slice of dense, damp Christmas cake, especially when eaten with a slice of strong, sharp cheese, I am surrounded by those who abominate dried fruit in all its seasonal manifestations.

‘If no one in your family likes dried fruit, there’s no point having a Christmas cake gathering dust or just being eaten on sufferance. If chocolate cake appeals more, go for it.’

Nigella also revealed the one household chore she will never do – the ironing (Pictured: Nigella Lawson makes an appearance at Zoe Ball’s star studded breakfast show on December 14 2023)

Nigella’s festive retreat to Amsterdam will tell the story of her love for the ‘beautiful’ city at Christmastime, conveying the particular beauty of the lights glittering over the canals, the bustle of festivity and the exquisite, enchanting atmosphere of the ‘Venice of the North’.

With visits to Christmas Fairs, artisan food shops, and her favourite spots in this historic and architecturally enthralling city, Nigella will pick up ingredients for her festive feasting, finding moments of calm and reflection among the lights and happy hubbub to bring the Christmas spirit home.

The recipes are inspired by local ingredients from both the Dutch and Indonesian culinary cultures of Amsterdam, creating dishes that are both simple and celebratory to make our Christmas deliciously do-able and joyous!

Shot in both London and Amsterdam, the special will reveal high-reward accessible recipes, as she takes us on a very personal journey through Amsterdam this Christmas.

Nigella said: ‘There is nothing better than being able to share enthusiasm and joy, and I look forward to showing viewers the unique magic of Amsterdam at Christmas and unveiling new recipes that, while drawn from the history, culture and ingredients of this breathtakingly beautiful city, give ideas for fabulous, fuss-free feasting here at home’.

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