TV Critics: Nigelissima; Birds, Balls and Brighton; Being Liverpool

“Nigella is positively Sophia Lorenesque here, which fits rather nicely with the food – a kind of naturalised Notting Hill version of Italian dishes.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent

“Nigella’s kitchen is like paradise, and massive. With little pots of loveliness – thyme, oregano, chilli flakes – scattered about the place. And everything you could possibly need – a parmesan grater, whisks, slotted spoons – hanging from the ceiling… In my kitchen all that hangs from the ceiling is spaghetti, from doing the is-it-cooked ceiling test.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“At times this was sensory and artery overload. Culprit-in-chief was one children’s party, with one made-up word and one food concept too far: the ‘meatzza’.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“Apart from an American cable show in which a man with an impenetrable Appalachian accent did things with dead squirrels and marmots, Nigelissima is the strangest cookery programme I’ve ever seen.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“Notionally an account of Brighton’s campaign to break into the Premiership, it was doomed to anti-climax by the fact that they didn’t eventually make it. But allowing for that, it contained several nice moments that captured the intensity of football as seen from the terraces.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent

“I imagine Liverpool fans will lap up the opportunity to see inside Stevie Gerrard’s house and watch the team training, but even they should be able to see that we’re in corporate-video territory here.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent