Nigella Lawson says she had a 'list of reasons' not to take Bake Off job and brands Paul Hollywood 'a genius' as the pair put on a friendly display in first live TV interview together amid 'bitter battle of their egos'

Nigella Lawson has admitted she had a 'list of reasons' not to take the Bake Off job after the domestic goddess proved a huge hit with viewers on the new series.

The TV cook, 66, made her highly-anticipated debut on the much-loved Channel 4 show last week and she couldn't have been more positively received by fans. 

However, the star has confessed she wasn't originally convinced she was right for the job as she didn't want to be 'fake'. 

Appearing on The One Show on Tuesday evening, Nigella put on a friendly display in her first live TV interview with fellow judge Paul Hollywood, despite rumours of a 'bitter battle of egos' between the pair. 

Nigella explained: 'I had many reservations. When I had my first meeting with them, I had a long list of why I shouldn't do it, because I felt like I had to make it clear that I am not a technical baker. I'm a home baker. 

'I didn't want them to feel they'd come to the wrong shop. I wanted to say what I felt I could do and what I felt I couldn't do. 

'And I said, there'll be no hard feelings after this meeting, if you feel I'm not what you need because I think there's nothing more anxiety provoking than thinking that people expect something from you that you can't give, and I don't ever want to be a fake person and pretend I know something I don't.'

She continued: 'I came to baking late in life. You know, I wrote, it was meant to be ironically titled How to Be a Domestic Goddess when I was 40, so I hadn't really baked because I was a cook. 

'Then I thought, this is easy. I don't know why everyone pretends it's so difficult, which is true if it's home baking. You know, you can make it simple, and what interests me is taste and texture.'

Praising Paul and his baking talent, she said: 'Paul is a genius, and he does it. He just looks at a cake and he says that needed to be another five degrees hotter and three minutes longer. And he knows all that.

'What I feel like I can do is eat, and then try and explain what the taste is like or what the texture is like for people who are home. But I just think I wanted them to know that that's it.'

Also making sure to compliment his TV other half, Paul added: 'And you can tell she imparts that beautifully, though. You can see it on Bake Off.'

Host Roman Kemp was also keen to suggest there is no feud between them as he added: ' But that's why it works and the chemistry, obviously, you can see it, and people have seen it in the episode so far. It's fantastic.'

Rumours have been swirling for months that the pair haven't gelled after the domestic goddess joined the lineup. 

A source told the Daily Mail's Katie Hind that Nigella reportedly found Paul's method of commuting to the tent via private helicopter as 'gauche and silly'.

Meanwhile, at the Channel 4 launch earlier this month, the judges notably didn't stand next to each other on the red carpet. 

However Nigella rose to the occasion as she made her debut as the new judge last week as she took over from Prue Leith. 

Critics have lavished praise on the long-running show's new hiring, declaring Nigella has revitalised the somewhat stale format after 17 series.

The Daily Mail's Jan Moir was delighted to see that show veteran Paul, 60, has 'met his match' in Nigella. 

'It seemed to me that across all series he assumed a leadership and a patriarchal seniority of rank that wasn't always his to take... Well, those days are over, mister. This time around Hollywood has been put firmly back in his cake box,' Moir wrote in her glowing review.

Anita Singh gave a five-star review for The Telegraph, declaring that 'Bake Off and Nigella are a match made in heaven'.

Singh added that Nigella 'brings a new lease of life,  glamour, intelligence and poise. And, of course, a hefty dollop of innuendo.'

The Guardian's Lucy Mangan also awarded the opening episode five stars, writing of Nigella: 'She moves through Bake Off dispensing words of wisdom, generous praise and gentle criticism, just as confident as Leith but a much quieter, more soothing presence that works perfectly with Alison Hammond's ebullience and Paul Hollywood's teacher-ish vibe.'