Paul Hollywood and Nigella Lawson have opened up about the 'secrets to a successful TV partnership' - ahead of joining forces on The Great British Bake Off.

Nigella, 66, is joining original judge Paul, 59, for the latest series of the much-loved programme.

She is replacing Dame Prue Leith, 85, who joined Bake Off when the show moved to Channel 4 from the BBC in 2017.

Meanwhile, at Channel 4's Cheeky Little Gander event showcasing their upcoming TV, Paul and Nigella were asked about what makes a successful TV partnership.

Paul, who has been part of Bake Off since 2010, answered: 'I think it comes down to knowledge and taste buds.

'Both Mary [Berry] and Prue [Leith] have amazing taste buds and a huge depth of knowledge of what we're talking about.

'Nigella is exactly the same, it's in the same mould. 

He added: 'It comes down to bringing your knowledge and then your warmth.

'Both Mary and Prue brought their warmth, I'm sure Nigella's going to do exactly the same to make the bakers feel at ease.

'It's not easy, an attempt to bake. It certainly is when the judges come up and probably judge you for the very first time in your life.

'Most people, if you make a terrible cake or they give you a cake, you'll go "thank you very much".

'[It's] the first time in their lives, actually, that they'll get it between the eyes.'

Meanwhile, Nigella, who has previously judged on My Kitchen Rules, said: 'In life, I look for pleasure and not false. 

'So I think, if you can, you should always find what's good about something.

'You generally need enthusiastic stuff.

'But the thing is, it's a very unproductive way of being a critic, to make people feel diminished. Because that never hurts too much.

'You can't make the decisions your way, you can explain why you think something should be a certain way.

'Everyone needs a framework. If you think they were trying to achieve one thing, well, how could that be achieved? 

'So I really think it is about looking for delight, because that's what we need.'

Meanwhile, Paul also addressed whether he had shared any tips with Nigella upon her joining the programme.

He shared: 'We have little tricks where... we've always had pictures of the bakers, normally at the beginning with their names on.

'Because I'm like, "Oh wow, I need to remember their names." 

 It comes as Nigella previously admitted she was 'frightened' upon joining Bake Off - after her appointment was confirmed.

She told Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on This Morning: 'Prue is just fantastic, and Mary was fantastic before, so if I think about that I get really frightened.

'[Channel 4] have given me the honour of offering me this and I just want to do it as well as I can, become a part of it, enjoy it, and I'm very excited about it.'

Nigella, who has also hosted her own cookery programmes including Nigella: Cook, Eat, Repeat and Nigella Express, added that she is taking the new role 'very seriously'. 

She continued: 'I am a teeny bit frightened, I'd be lying if I didn't say that, I am excited and I'm taking it very seriously - but it's about the programme, it's an institution of national treasure status, and it's about the bakers.

'I just want to be there and be part of it. It's good to have a change at my time of life.'

The most important part of the show for Nigella is being able to offer up a softer opinion to the bakers than her co-star and fellow judge, Paul, 59 - and give the bakers a chance to shine. 

Nigella added: 'I'm not someone who looks for fault, I look for pleasure - that is my basic, I can't say it's a philosophy, but my basic attitude in life. 

'Paul Hollywood is Mr Technical and I'm all about the eating - if I see my job as eating, it's not too daunting, I can eat.  

'But it is very much about [the bakers] the show, and that's what I love about it - there's a lot of competition programmes can be a bit hard-edged but this isn't, and we need that.'