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The "grumpy" TV chef was seen with white powder inside her nostrils several times last year, her former aide Francesca Grillo claimed in court

Nigella Lawson snorted cocaine all night to help her stay awake when she was writing cookery books, a court heard.

The TV chef was seen with white powder inside her nostrils several times last year, her former aide claimed.

Francesca Grillo is on trial alongside her sister Elisabetta accused of fraudulently spending 685,000 of company credit cards given to them by the cook and her ex-husband Charles Saatchi.

The Italian sisters told the court they were allowed to spend what they liked as long as they kept quiet about Nigellas decade long cocaine habit.

Francesca told the court Nigella was absent and grumpy and blamed her mood swings on lack of sleep following her huge coke snorting sessions.

She said: At the beginning of 2012 there were a few episodes where she came down and she had white powder inside her nostril. A few times I ignored it but other times I told her and she said its just make-up. It was too white to be make-up.

When she was writing a new book she said she needed to work through the night because she found it easier and she needed help to stay up all night.

She had a runny nose for a long period of time, and at a strange time, in the summer.

Both sisters claim Nigella had a daily addiction to cocaine, cannabis and prescription drugs.

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Nigella Lawson 'snorted cocaine all night to stay awake and write cookery books' - court told