An author has written a biography of domestic goddess Nigella Lawson.

Gilly Smith, of Arundel Road, Brighton, co-author of The Cheeky Guides To Brighton And Hove, was commissioned to produce her unofficial life story.

She said Lawson "shuddered" at the thought of a biography being written about her but hopes she will read it and approve.

Personal tragedy has meant Lawson's life has been widely reported but she has tried to keep access to her family tightly controlled.

She lost her younger sister Thomasina, 32, to breast cancer and, four years later, her husband, journalist John Diamond, died of throat cancer.

Smith's book tells how a car crash in Italy could have changed the course of Lawson's career.

Ms Smith said: "Her best friend Emily told me that a car crashed while Nigella was sitting on her lap without a seatbelt.

"The way Emily fell shielded Nigella's face from the windscreen but if she had landed differently, she could have been badly hurt."

The book also goes into detail about Lawson's marriage to advertising guru Charles Saatchi following Diamond's death. Ms Smith believes Diamond engineered the match between his wife and his friend, knowing they would make a good couple.

Nigella Lawson: The Unauthorised Biography is on sale now in bookshops.

There will be an official launch and signing on Thursday from 5.30pm to 7pm at the Kemptown Bookshop in St George's Road, Kemp Town, Brighton.