I was trying to protect my children – Nigella

Showbiz: ‘Domestic goddess’ responds to court drug claims

TV cook Nigella Lawson has said her “only desire” during the trial of her and ex- husband Charles Saatchi’s personal assistants was to protect her children but “alas I couldn’t always do”.

The mother-of-two appeared on US TV show Good Morning America to promote her newshow, but was also asked about the court case, which saw her face allegations of drugtaking.

Asked what it was like to be a witness in the trial of Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, who were acquitted, Lawson told the programme: “I can’t really remember exactly because you’re so focused on answering the questions to the best of your ability that actually you don’t really have an enormous awareness of yourself.

“Maybe that’s a good thing. My only desire really was to protect my children as much as possible which... alas I couldn’t always do.”

Ms Lawson added that having details of her acrimonious split from millionaire art dealer Mr Saatchi talked about in court under the glare of the world's media was “mortifying”. “To have not only your private life but distortions of your private life put on display is mortifying, but 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,” she said.

“Actually since then I’ve eaten a lot of chocolate, had a very good Christmas and am into the New Year,” the food writer added.

Ms Lawson also commented on the fact that as a witness she was not able to have a lawyer defend her in court, unlike the two defen- dants on trial. “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 that will change, maybe that’s good,” she said.

Lawson admitted during the trial that she took cocaine with her late husband John Diamond when he found out he had terminal cancer, and in 2010 when she claimed she was being “subjected to intimate terrorism” by Mr Saatchi.

TV EXPOSURE: Nigella Lawson appears on Good Morning America, claiming stories in court about her private life were “distortions”