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Nigella Lawson reveals her new name for ‘microwave’ years after viral blunder

Nigella Lawson reveals her new name for ‘microwave’ years after viral blunder

The TV chef became an online meme thanks to her pronunciation of the word microwave.

Nigella Lawson certainly knows her way around the kitchen, even if she isn't too clear on how to pronounce the names of her appliances.

After watching the food author and chef, 63, do her thing on TV, we've all thought about taking a leaf out of her book - whether you fancy her ham cooked in Coca-Cola, support her decision to butter her toast twice, or reckon adding banana skins to your curry might just be delicious like she says.

But one thing a lot of people struggle to get on board with is the way she says the word 'microwave'.

In 2020, a clip from her series Cook, Eat, Repeat went viral - and it wasn't for because of her delectable recipe for a brown butter colcannon (very rich and buttery, veg filled mashed potatoes to the layman).

The national treasure was mashing her spuds in the pan when she explained her next step and said: "I still need a bit of milk - full fat - which I've warmed in the 'meecro-wa-vay'."

The fact Nigella is an Oxford University graduate who studied languages makes the whole thing even more hilarious, but being ridiculed for her pronunciation has now made her shy about sharing any more of her quirky cooking language.

In fact, she has been avoiding saying the word microwave all together since she became the target of online banter about how she says the word.

Nigella Lawson has been scarred by the microwave-based mockery.
BBC

During a chat with BBC Breakfast's Jon Kay, Nigella revealed that she actually 'wasn't quite aware' she had made the epic blunder as 'that's what she calls it at home'.

She continued: "What’s quite interesting is that a lot of people got in touch with me to tell me what their family mispronunciations are. So many families do have that.

"They mispronounce a word either because a child in the family could never say it properly and that’s become part of their family language, or just because they make jokes and they stick."

Jon asked whether she would be using her unique pronunciation of microwave over Christmas, but Nigella said she has steered clear of it ever since.

Nigella now calls the microwave something else.
BBC

She added: "I'm not - it’s made me quite self-conscious now. I tend to refer to it as the ‘you know what’ now."

People were left gutted that she has been put off using her unintended catchphrase and took to social media to share their thoughts.

One said: "I didn't realise the feedback was traumatising. Now I feel bad for her!"

Another wrote: "This wasn't a mispronunciation but the superior pronunciation. Me and my family now refer to it as the 'meecro-wa-vay'."

A third wrote: "Oh Nigella, don't be insecure. That was and is iconic."

The celebrity chef previously set the record straight about her peculiar pronunciation of the word, emphasising it's 'not because I think that's how it's actually pronounced'.

Nigella later added that it was a 'camp joke that became a habit'.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: Viral, Christmas, BBC, UK News, Celebrity