The TV chef used her craft, and the hashtag #teamNigella to answer the damning front page stories.

She tweeted a ‘holiday hotcake’ recipe to her followers and thanked them for standing by her in light of the claims, writing: ‘Holiday Hotcake: the perfect recipe to show thanks for all your support & to those who hashtag #teamNigella’

Twitter users retweeted the message and added messages of support, and now the words ‘Nigella Lawson’ are trending worldwide.

The #teamNigella hashtag has gained huge popularity, with celebrity writers Caitlin Moran and Grace Dent reproducing it to their own followers, while there were only a few mentions of #teamsaatchi.

One supporter wrote: 'Even if Nigella WAS on drugs, her recreational activities are still no defence for her husband's domestic violence. #teamnigella'

The Twitter frenzy comes after newspapers published court documents from the trial of Nigella and Charles’ former personal assistants, who are accused of using company credit cards to spend £300,000 on luxuries including designer clothes and first-class air travel.

In court yesterday, Judge Robin Johnson read out an email sent from Saatchi to his former wife in court, accusing Nigella and her 19 year-old daughter Cosima, known as Mimi, of taking drugs.

The email read: 'Of course now the Grillos will get off on the basis that you (and) Mimi were so off your heads on drugs that you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked and yes I believe every word they have said.'