Behind the scenes with Nigella

People


Behind the scenes with Nigella

By Stylist Team

15 years ago

Stylist's Photography Director Tom Gormer - and now cover star, sort of - reveals 10 things he learnt on our Nigella Lawson photoshoot...

1. The theme of the Stylist shoot was a ‘behind the scenes’ of Nigella's Christmas, hence my cameo appearance on the cover, blasting fake snow all over the studio. Best. Job. Ever.

2. What you don’t see is the snow machine is leaking and I am covered in a weird smelling liquid chemical.

3. Nigella keeps little bags of retro sweet in her handbag. She gave me a cola cube. Twice!

4. A very long discussion was had about the perfect chip. French fries? Homemade proper chips? Chip shop chips? This was before I had seen the brilliant episode of Nigella Kitchen where she ‘cooks’ chip shop chips in bread with hummus.

5. I was also under STRICT instructions not to get any snow on the Roland Mouret dress Nigella was wearing.

6. Thankfully, I didn’t.

7. For lunch, Nigella ate chicken salad and fries.

8. Nigella's condiment of choice is mustard. She keeps a tube of it in her handbag. I asked if she ever uses mustard from her handbag in restaurants. She told me, "Only if I don’t get given any after the third time I've asked."

9. We discussed a range of topics, from where to buy the perfect fairy lights (annoyingly, I've forgotten) to Maggie Thatcher.

10. Our nail technician Andrea had worked with Nigella before and named a shade of varnish after her, which is what Nigella wore for the Stylist shoot. Look!

So there you have it. Nigella is/was amazing and a joy to work with. AND she signed my book.

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