Nigella Lawson granted special New Zealand visa after U.S. travel ban #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @i_amreginaldjr

Celebrity chef NIGELLA LAWSON has been granted a special visa allowing her entry to New Zealand after she was banned from travelling to the U.S. following her cocaine confession in court.

The TV star was stopped from boarding a plane to the U.S. last month (Mar14) and reports suggested the travel ban was linked to her drug admission during a high-profile court case last year (13).
She faced a similar ban in New Zealand, where she is due to shoot an advert for a chocolate brand, but now officials have confirmed they have issued a special visa allowing her to enter the country.
A statement from a spokesperson for Immigration New Zealand reads, "As she has been excluded from another country, the United States, she was ineligible to be granted a visa to enter New Zealand unless given a special direction.
"A special direction was granted and her visa application was approved."
The drug admission came during a fraud case against Lawson's two former aides, who were cleared of racking up huge debts on her and ex-husband Charles Saatchi's credit cards. Police declined to launch a further investigation into Lawson's drug use and decided not to file charges.