When Nigella Lawson hit on Elliot Steel

...as told by his dad Mark

comedy She mat be 24 years his senior – but that didn’t stop Nigella Lawson making a pass at comedian Elliot Steel when he was still a teenager.

Elliot’s dad – fellow stand-up Mark Steel – revealed that the TV chef hit on him when they ended up watching a World Cup match together in 2014, when his son would have been 18.

Speaking to Kathy Burke on her Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake podcast, Mark said it happened at the home of mutual friend Matthew Norman, the writer.

He explained: ‘Knocked on the door, and I didn't expect Nigella Lawson to answer. She was there watching the football as well. Bit of a shock

‘My lad was [there]. He’s a comic, so he's not at all fazed. As the game starts, Nigella's made a cake and he says, "I have to tell you, my mum, she's not a good cook. She won't mind me saying that the only time she makes anything any good is when you've made the recipe and she's following that."

‘[Nigella replied], "Oh, Elliot. Oh, that's lovely. Oh, thank you so much". I thought: what’s going on here?

‘Then, suddenly, at half-time, she goes, "Elliot, do you do a lot of training? You've been to the gym rather a lot, haven't you? I can see lots of muscle."

‘And we got in the car, I come home, and he just went "Was Nigella Lawson hitting on me?" I said, "Yes! Yes, she was!"

‘I should have made them continue, that’s all my financial problems sorted, isn't it? My daughter-in-law, Nigella Lawson.

Just watching the football with @Nigella_Lawson nothing to see here...????

BRAND NEW #WTAWTAW with @mrmarksteel and @KathyBurke OUT NOW!

Follow and subscribe https://t.co/EbRLssiYyu ???? pic.twitter.com/dCA2pFEtW3
— Where There's A Will, There's A Wake (@deathpod_) July 9, 2024

Steel also told the podcast how he was approached with an entirely inappropriate request about his Radio 4 show while attending Jeremy Hardy’s funeral in Dorset in 2019.

He explained: 'We were asked to go out and throw a flower into the grave, as the coffin was going down.

‘I went up, and I got my flower, and I was just about to throw the flower in, and the vicar came up, and he said, "Mr Steel?". I thought, oh, he’s going to say, "Are you all right? This must be a very bad thing. Very sombre moment for you’" or something like that.

‘But he goes, "Can I just ask, do you think you'd might be able to do one of your In Town shows for this village?"

‘I'm about to fucking drop a flower into my best mate’s grave, could have left it a minute!’

• Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake is available from all podcast providers

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Published: 11 Jul 2024