1 Oct '10

“The duo launch themselves into their pantomimic selves with abandon. The project was initially conceived as a series of short “webisodes”, and shown online; only later were they put together for television, and the joins really show. Everything here is just too big, too generic, too Benny Hill.”
Archie Bland, The Independent

“It wasn’t brilliant, but it was much, much better than it could have been, even allowing for the fact that the pleasure in watching Trinny and Susannah has always been that while they always took their tasks seriously, they took themselves seriously not at all. All in all, a splendid palate cleanser after the heavily larded nonsense of Nigella.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“A straightforward, sometimes painful comedy caper. The problem was that throughout the whole caper you couldn’t quite silence the little voice telling you that a lot of this might be true.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“If they think these Ab Fab rip-off personas can sustain a series, they are surely deluded…you can only trash your brand once.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“She’s so happy! She smiles all the time! It is most unappetising! I was deeply drunk and exhausted by the end. How was it for you?”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“It all adds up to a peculiar, but unarguably pleasurable, viewing experience. Potty as she seems, Nigella remains wonderful: comically posh, sexily enthused, and – above all – boldly and inimitably herself.”
Archie Bland, The Independent

“They seemed to have reined in all the bits that make half abn hour in Nigella Lawson’s company a treat. The whole affair felt credit-crunched, less of a sensuous treat, more of a domestic science lesson.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“It was very hard to believe, afterwards, that Nigella was not indulging in similar self-parody [as Trinny & Susannah]. But watching Nigella for cooking advice is these days like watching Tommy Cooper for the patter. You tune in for the patter.”
Andrew Billen, The Times