Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has stated that she didn't dwell much on the court ordeal she went through recently and binged on a lot of chocolate.

"And actually, since then I've eaten a lot of chocolate, [I've] had a very good Christmas and I'm into the New Year," Lawson said.

"To be honest, to have not only your private life but distortions of your private life put on display is mortifying, but there are people going through an awful lot worse and to dwell on any of it would be self-pity, and I don't like to do that."

When she was quizzed about her memories of the two days she spent in the witness box, she said that she couldn't remember the exact details.

"I can't really remember exactly because you're so focused on answering the questions to the best of your ability that actually you don't have enormous awareness of yourself ... maybe that's a good thing," she stated.

"My only desire really was to protect my children as much as possible, which I wasn't, alas, always ... I couldn't do, but that's what I wanted to do," Lawson added.

"The past months have been extremely difficult but I am looking forward to getting back to work and to looking after my family. I will survive this and move forward. I just want to focus on my family life and work," Lawson stated.

Lawson's personal life has been the centre of attention ever since her former husband, art tycoon Charles Saatchi, was pictured apparently throttling her in public.

Saatchi subsequently alleged that the she was a regular drug-user, even calling her "higella" in an e-mail leaked to the press.

Lawson admitted that she did use cocaine and marijuana occasionally but was not an addict. She stated while she was not proud of the fact that she had occasionally taken drugs, that did not make her an addict or a habitual drug user.

The allegations came up during the trial of Italian sisters Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, who were Lawson's assistants. They were accused of committing fraud while they worked as PAs to the couple having allegedly blown £300,000 on taxis, flights and clothes.