The media’s portrayal of the television chef is typical of its treatment of women in general.

While the jury is still deliberating on the trial of the two women accused of stealing nearly £700,000 from Nigella Lawson and her ex-husband Charles Saatchi, it’s easy to reach a guilty verdict with regards to the national media’s treatment of Nigella.

In just the first line of a report on ‘the voluptuous TV chef[‘s]’ arrival at court, the Daily Mail made sure to mention Lawson’s ‘undulating curves’ and ‘ample bosom’.

On the next page, under the title ‘The exquisitely crafted image of a Domestic Goddess’, the paper scrutinises Lawson’s hair, face, fashion and weight.

Meanwhile, text boxes around a large photo of her face inform us that her ‘caramel highlights’ cost £250, that she is likely to have had ‘a few subtle fillers’, wears false lashes and has had eyebrows threaded, and has recently ‘shed pounds’.

The miracles of trial by appearance!

The Daily Mail was not the only guilty party; in a helpful guide to ‘the art of court chic’ the Telegraph pointed out Lawson’s ‘flattering’ Julien Macdonald coat, before comparing her court outfit to those of Heather Mills and Naomi Campbell.

The media’s obsession with the appearance of female celebrities has been shown to have an effect on the self-esteem of young women.

A recent survey conducted by Girl Guiding UK found that it contributed to more than seven in 10 of those aged 11 to 21 feeling anxious about the way they look.

Just as disturbing as the media’s focus on Lawson’s witness-stand wardrobe, is its penchant for victim blaming.

Not content with giving ex-husband Saatchi an apologist platform following him being pictured with his hands on Lawson’s neck in June, the Daily Mail, as if to link the two events, made sure to include a photo of the incident in its report about Lawson’s cocaine use.

As noted by the Everyday Victim Blaming campaign: ‘The media reports cases of violence against women and children with an almost willful avoidance of the actual reasons for these acts.’

Quite.