Nigella praised as new Bake Off judge as latest contestants announced

TV chef Nigella Lawson has been praised by critics for her new role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off, which returns to Channel 4 later this month. Lawson is taking over from Dame Prue Leith, who said she was leaving the series in order to work less and play more. The new series kicks off on September 22 but the opening episode was shown to critics earlier this week. Critics praised Lawson's presence, with The Times stating that 'lashings of Nigella Lawson help everyone rise to the occasion' and the Telegraph declaring 'she is more delectable than anything the contestants could whip up in a showstopper challenge'. Contestants for the 17th series have also been confirmed, including a paediatric doctor, a competitive sprinter, a hairdresser and a drag artist. The production team are pleased to have her, with one critic noting that it feels as if the programme is entertaining royalty. Bake Off has found a new star, according to Ben Dowell of the Times. Nigella is heaven for social media, according to Anita Singh of the Telegraph. Her every utterance comes over like a line from Emmanuelle. The flavours are giving me a lot of pleasure. I like a bit of goo. I'm hoping to find that wonderful frisson. Here's the latest crop of wannabe star bakers. Clara, 24, a marketing graduate from Hertfordshire, is originally from Portugal and only began baking two years ago. She believes 'the first bite of a bake is always with the eyes'. Connie, 63, an NHS hospital discharge lead, is known as 'the cake lady' and uses baking as a way to unwind after a hectic day. Connie also runs a music centre in London with her music teacher husband Myke, where she loves to try out her new recipes on the students. Danni, 25, an HGV service centre administrator from Dorset, loves foraging for ingredients in the countryside and is also a tech enthusiast and enjoys decorating bakes with inspiration from video games and animation. Gabe, 32, an artist, drag king and costume designer from the West Midlands is the self-styled 'daddy of Birmingham drag' and discovered baking after watching the very first series of Bake Off aged 13. Gabe has a preference for savoury, meat-filled bakes and an obsession with meringue. Gary, 67, is a retired garment technologist from Nottinghamshire, who only discovered a love of baking about five years ago. He lives with his wife Donna and their countryside home is filled with animals, including sheep, horses, chickens and miniature pygmy goats and Shetland ponies. Molly, 31, is an accessibility coordinator from London, loves traditional bakes and classic flavours. She is also a musical theatre fanaticand is a huge Formula 1 fan, clearing her diary for every race.