Thaindian News

London, May 6 (ANI): English food writer Nigella Lawson could have become a spy because she was once approached by British security agency M15 as a student.

A new espionage book titled ‘Inside British Intelligence’ reveals that Nigella had turned down the agency’s offer on the advice of her father, Nigel Lawson, who was then Chancellor of The Exchequer.

Gordon Thomas writes in the book that Nigella was approached to join the secret service because she was a former pupil of Elizabeth Manningham-Buller who went on to become director general of MI5. “After Oxford (Elizabeth) taught at the exclusive Queen’s Gate school in London. Her pupils included the future television chef Nigella Lawson,” the Telegraph quoted Thomas as writing.

According to The Daily Mail, the book also talks about the way Nigella’s father warned her to “steer clear of the intelligence people”.

“Instead Nigella went on to become a journalist before finding fame as a cooker writer and TV chef,” writes Thomas.

According to him, the secret services targeted Oxford and Cambridge in the early 80s to take advantage of the students who had received free higher education through the Labour Government.

“Shrewd MI5 recruiters appealed to the patriotism of those they approached and the phrase ‘do it for king and country’ was often a clincher. Joining the security service would not match the financial terms that industry and the banking world offered but the job would be far more interesting that study balance sheets,” Thomas writes in the book. (ANI)