Rachel Fieldhouse
Family & Pets

Nigella Lawson opens up on tragic family losses

Nigella Lawson has spoken about how losing several family members far too soon has changed her perspective on ageing and death.

The celebrity chef’s latest interview with New Idea magazine saw her open up about the death of her mother and sister within eight years of each other and the effect it’s had.

“My mother died at 48 and my sister died at 32, so to mind about getting older would be slightly odd,” the 62-year-old told the magazine.

Her mother, Vanessa Salmon, died of liver cancer in 1985 and her sister, Thomasina, died in 1993 of breast cancer.

Their deaths had a huge impact on Lawson, who has led a healthy lifestyle and embraced life to the fullest as a result.

“I’m much more concerned with my health and keeping mobile,” she said.

“It might sound corny, but if you’re well, then that really is the most important thing.”

Lawson added that ageing is “just life” for her, and that there’s “no point in focusing on it too much” since “it’s going to happen”.

“Sometimes I look at my hands and think: ‘Oh my God!’ But what are you going to do? It’s just life,” she said.

Lawson recently touched down in Australia for last month’s Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, as rumours that she will be staying in the country as a permanent judge on MasterChef or the upcoming revival of My Kitchen Rules continue to circulate. 

Despite the speculation, Lawson has said little about them yet.

To read Nigella Lawson’s full interview with New Idea, click here.

Image: @nigellalawson (Instagram)

Tags:
Family & Pets, Nigella Lawson, Loss, Health