The Sad Reason Nigella Lawson Became A Chef

Nigella Lawson is undoubtedly a heavyweight in the culinary industry who has inspired many with her take on cooking. However, it's important to consider the fact that this was not always the case and it took Lawson a fair amount of struggle to get where she is today. Per The New York Times, Lawson was a journalist and a food writer before she decided to make the official switch to a life in the culinary space and penned her first book, "How to Eat." Along the way, she had to deal with the pain of losing her husband John Diamond and find a way to raise her kids by herself.

What many fans may not be aware of, though, is the fact that Lawson's struggles existed long before she reached adulthood. She had to confront plenty of problems, even as a child, and some of her experiences back then were instrumental in shaping her perspective on food and cooking.

In a hard-hitting interview with The Guardian, Nigella Lawson revealed that her childhood was painful. Food was a way to exercise some amount of control over her life. She said, "I hated childhood, the lack of autonomy, and the only thing you have control over [at that age] is whether you eat or not. I didn't have an eating disorder, but I really hated family mealtimes." She also said that is probably why she ended up paying so much attention to food later and transforming that into an enjoyable experience.

It did not help that Lawson's mother would deprive herself of good meals for a long time as she tried to stay skinny. "My attitude towards food is such a repudiation of her, a triumph over her, thinking, 'I'm not going to play that game. I'm not going to be that thin,'" she added. For Lawson, it was important to not be like that as an adult and embrace food and everything it offers. She said that she made a conscious decision to not be like her mom and continues to celebrate food in all its forms as a professional chef.