Nigella Lawson’s unusual pronunciation of the word ‘microwave’ has earned her a BAFTA nomination

2020 was a year characterised by lots and lots… and lots and lots of TV. Finding ourselves with little else to occupy our days, our screen time soared as we finally made it through all of the things that we had set aside to watch whenever we had a free minute. From Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You to the lockdown-defining Tiger King, we ticked just about every series you can think of off the list and then some. 

Keeping up to date with the world’s latest viewing obsessions helped us to feel somewhat in the loop. Unable to go anywhere or do anything, conversation topics were often few and far between, but TV was something we could always rely on to keep us all united. Looking back there were many standout moments that we’ll remember 2020 for, Nigella Lawson’s pronunciation of the word “microwave” arguably the most bizarre of all. 

In case your memory needs refreshing, Nigella sent us all into a tizzy last December when a clip of her pronouncing “microwave” as “me-crow-wa-vay” went viral online. The subsequent subject of many a Tweet, meme and Reddit post, the well-known food writer took it all in her stride even resharing some of the funniest ones herself. 

I know I said enough now, but couldn’t resist https://t.co/JSRZzEwpPU

— Nigella Lawson (@Nigella_Lawson) December 9, 2020

Now over four months on and the hype surrounding the clip has just about died down, but it’s likely to peak again soon, as yesterday it was revealed that the memorable moment has been nominated for a BAFTA.

In the running for the Virgin Media Must-See Moment award, Nigella is up against some tough competition, with other category frontrunners including Diversity’s now-famous Black Lives Matter dance routine and (Bridgerton spoiler alert!) Penelope Featherington’s unveiling as Lady Whistledown. 

A relatively commonplace kitchen appliance, it’s rare a household that doesn’t have a microwave these days and as one of the world’s most well-known TV chefs, it seems fair to assume that Nigella, of all people, would be familiar with the concept. So, why on earth does she pronounce it that way?! Since saying that her rather unusual pronunciation of the word is actually an inside family joke, it probably would have made more sense for her to pre-empt that on her Cook, Eat, Repeat cooking show first… but maybe that wouldn’t have landed her with a BAFTA nomination. So I guess that’s showbiz, baby. 

You can see the full list of BAFTA nominees here.

Feature image via @nigellalawson.