She's back in the USA! Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson is allowed into the States to film TV show

  • Nigella was banned from flying to the U.S. in April following her court confession that she took cocaine
  • She had to re-apply for her U.S. visa before being allowed to travel
  • She flew to the States this week to film season 3 of The Taste - and brought British mustard, tea and salt with her
  • British chef confirmed she will join co-stars Anthony Bourdain, Marcus Lefebvre and Martin Samuelsson

By Sara Nathan for MailOnline

Nigella Lawson has this week arrived in the U.S. to film the new season of The Taste - just months after being refused entry over a cocaine confession.

The curvaceous British TV chef, 54, happily told her 664,000 Twitter followers that she was en-route to America - as she posted pictures of the plentiful Coleman's mustard, Ty-Phoo tea bags and gourmet Maldon seat salt she had packed, writing: 'Stateside for a month now: essential supplies'.

MailOnline told in May that the ABC cooking show was returning - and that Nigella would be welcome back if she could sort her visa.

Scroll down for video

Smiles better: Nigella Lawson arrived in the U.S. this week after getting permission from the US embassy in London to travel to the States

Smiles better: Nigella Lawson arrived in the U.S. this week after getting permission from the US embassy in London to travel to the States

Stateside: Nigella Lawson is in the U.S to film the new season of her ABC show, The Taste - and she has take provisions of British mustard, tea and salt with her

Stateside: Nigella Lawson is in the U.S to film the new season of her ABC show, The Taste - and she has take provisions of British mustard, tea and salt with her


She's back: Nigella Lawson posted a picture of herself and her Taste co-stars - confirming she was back on the show

She's back: Nigella Lawson posted a picture of herself and her Taste co-stars - confirming she was back on the show

And mother-of-two Nigella this week promoted the fact that she was back, posting a drawing of her with fellow Taste co-stars Anthony Bourdain, Marcus Lefebvre and Martin Samuelsson.

Alongside this, this afternoon, French chef Marcus tweeted a picture of a celebratory crab feast he was whipping up for his chefs at his Californian home, telling them 'welcome to LA!'

 

‘Domestic Goddess’ Nigella was forced to confess under oath during a trial last year that she had snorted cocaine seven times and smoked cannabis in front of her children.

And in April the Daily Mail told how Nigella was stopped from boarding a flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles.

She is thought to have checked in and passed security before being told she could not board her plane. She had to return to the first class check-in to arrange to collect her hold luggage.

Anthony Bourdain, a former heroin addict who once admitted selling his prized record collection to buy drugs, worked with Nigella Lawson on The Taste

Anthony Bourdain, a former heroin addict who once admitted selling his prized record collection to buy drugs, worked with Nigella Lawson on The Taste


Celebration: Nigella's co-star, chef Ludo Lefebvre whipped up a crab feast for her arrival, inviting the rest of the Taste gang, Anthony Bourdain and Marcus Samuelsson,to dine

Celebration: Nigella's co-star, chef Ludo Lefebvre whipped up a crab feast for her arrival, inviting the rest of the Taste gang, Anthony Bourdain and Marcus Samuelsson,to dine

Nigella is thought to have tried to enter the U.S. by registering online for permission to travel and confirming she had not been arrested or convicted of offences including taking illegal drugs.

But the U.S. can also decide to bar foreigners who have committed drugs offences without ever being charged. Would-be travellers can apply to have the ban lifted, but this can take months.

Nigella was then invited by the U.S. Embassy in London to apply for a working visa - and could have faced a drug test by U.S. doctors.

At the time, her Taste co-star Anthony Bourdain today tweeted his support for the star, saying: 'I am absolutely mortified with embarrassment over the cruelty and hypocrisy of US actions re: #Nigella travel. Unbelievable.'

Season 2 of The Taste ended in February with 3.2 million viewers. And despite going up against NBC's Winter Olympics coverage, the show was up week to week by 7 per cent in total viewers - and up 14 per cent in women aged 18-34.

nigella august 3
nigella

Back in the U.S.  Domestic Goddess Nigella was last pictured in London on August 3, wearing a tangerine coat and sunglasses

Support: Nigella Lawson - seen here with co-star Ludo Lefebvre - was given support from her Taste friends after being banned from The States

Support: Nigella Lawson - seen here with co-star Ludo Lefebvre - was given support from her Taste friends after being banned from The States

Fury: Nigella Lawson's Taste co-star Anthony Bourdain hit out at the U.S. in her defence in April

Fury: Nigella Lawson's Taste co-star Anthony Bourdain hit out at the U.S. in her defence in April

When Nigella made her return for season 2 of The Taste it was her big return to television screens following her very public divorce from Charles Saatchi.

Ludo went on to reveal how he had grown 'very, very, very close' with Nigella, describing the mom-of-two as a 'great woman'.

He said it 'broke my heart' to see his co-star's ordeal during the trial of her former housekeepers who were cleared of fraud in December.

In an interview with The London Times, Ludo described how he first saw Nigella on television when he moved to America in 1996, but they met for the first time last year.

The married chef, 42, said: 'We have become very, very, very close - we click right away.'

He went on to say seeing the court appearance 'broke my heart' before adding: 'Have you heard anything like this before? No. Because she is a great woman.'

His wife, lawyer Kristine Lefebvre, went on to say Nigella had described the chef as 'a very good-looking younger brother'.

Clash: Nigella looked appalled when Los Angeles-based cook Lefevbre condescendingly described her as a ¿beautiful woman¿ as she tried to persuade a contestant to join her team
Clash: Nigella looked appalled when Los Angeles-based cook Lefevbre condescendingly described her as a ¿beautiful woman¿ as she tried to persuade a contestant to join her team

Close: French chef Ludo Lefebvre, Nigella Lawson's Taste co-star said her court case against the Grillo sisters 'broke my heart' and called her a 'great woman'. The friends starred together on two seasons of The Taste - and could be reunited for season 3

Saucy: Nigella was certainly flirty when it came to winning over contestants on the show, who were hoping to be picked by the panel of chefs

Saucy: Nigella was certainly flirty when it came to winning over contestants on the show, who were hoping to be picked by the panel of chefs

 

On The Taste, the judges must decide whether they want the cook based solely on the taste.
‘Food is never just food, it’s exquisite and it appeals to every sense,’ Nigella said. ‘It can change your life.’

Nigella had to give evidence at the trial of her former housekeepers, Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, who were accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds from her and ex-husband Charles Saatchi.

While insisting she had never been an addict or habitual user of drugs, she confirmed she had taken cocaine.

She said she needed the drugs to cope with the death of her first husband, John Diamond, and the ‘intimate terrorism’ of her second, Mr Saatchi.

A spokesman for Nigella was contacted for comment.

Nigella Lawson with her ex-husband Charles Saatchi. Although Scotland Yard did not act over her drug confession, the US authorities are taking a tougher stance

Nigella Lawson with her ex-husband Charles Saatchi. Although Scotland Yard did not act over her drug confession, the US authorities are taking a tougher stance

Sisters Francesca (right) Grillo and Elisabetta Grillo. They were found not guilty of fraud

Sisters Francesca (right) Grillo and Elisabetta Grillo. They were found not guilty of fraud


The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now