'I’ve eaten lots of chocolate': Nigella Lawson speaks out after drug revelations while promoting new US TV show

 
Nigella Lawson arrives at Isleworth Crown Court today
TV cook Nigella Lawson arriving for the second day at Isleworth Crown Court in west London, to give evidence in the case two of her former personal assistants, Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, who are accused of committed fraud by abusing their positions
Rachel Blundy3 January 2014

Nigella Lawson has broken her silence since she admitted taking cocaine during the fraud trial of her former personal assistants, saying she was "mortified" to have had her private life made public.

Promoting a new series of cooking talent contest The Taste on Good Morning America, the television chef said she was trying not to indulge in "self-pity" despite being upset by the press attention.

Her former aides, Italian sisters Francesca and Lisa Grillo, were cleared of stealing £685,000 from her and ex-husband Charles Saatchi last month.

Speaking about giving evidence at Isleworth Crown court, during which she revealed she had taken the class A drug, she said: "My only desire was to protect my children as much as possible, which wasn't, alas, always possible.

"Actually since then I've eaten a lot of chocolate, had a very good Christmas and I'm into the New Year."

When asked how she had sought to protect her children, she said: "I don't know. To be honest to have not only your private life but distortions of your private life put on display is mortifying but, you know, there are people going through an awful lot worse and to dwell on any of it would be self-pity and I don't like to do that."

Lawson, 53, also hinted she would support a move to provide barristers in court for witnesses.

"It's one of the niceties of the English legal system that you're not allowed any counsel if you're a witness but maybe it will change, maybe that's good", she said.

In a statement released after the trial, Lawson said she was "disappointed but unsurprised" by the jury's verdict, adding her experience as a witness was "deeply disturbing".

Watch the interview below.

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