Nigella Lawson: how the intimate secrets of a marriage were laid bare In the days that followed, Mr Saatchi attempted to downplay the photographs, insisting he was only trying to "emphasise his point" during a "playful tiff." Yet the damage was done - to the couple's marriage, and to their privacy. Now, barely seven months on, the pair are divorced, Mr Saatchi has been linked to a new woman (Trinny Woodall, the TV stylist) and all the secrets of their 10-year marriage have been aired in one of the year's most revelatory court cases. Everyone from family members to the Prime Minister has been canvassed on the couple's marriage, and we have all been urged to take sides, demonstrating our support or otherwise for "Team Nigella." The couple themselves have shared their most intimate feelings, with Mr Saatchi confiding in court that he is "broken-hearted to have lost" Miss Lawson. One of the defence barristers in the trial of the couple's former assistants even accused them of "manipulating" the justice system, treating the court as a "convenient forum" to air their private grievances. Yet the only people who appeared to have relished the publicity are the staff at Scott's, one of whom told Mandrake in July that the photographs were "the best advertisement we've had." "We have been packed ever since," he beamed. It is easy to understand why. Within days of the pictures first being printed, the future of the marriage was publicly in question. Three days after publication, Mr Saatchi accepted a police caution for the assault, in an attempt to prevent the incident "hanging over all of us for months." It did not work. Only the next day, Kay Saatchi, his former wife, waded into the dispute, to defend her ex-husband from being "treated unfairly." Mr Saatchi, she said, could be "hard work" and "always had his faults" but was never physically abusive during their 11-year marriage. Then Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, was asked to comment on the photographs during his regular radio phone-in. He was dismissed by Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, for saying the incident might have been "a fleeting thing." Later in the affair, David Cameron would be criticised for showing his backing for "Team Nigella," by disclosing he was a "massive fan" of Miss Lawson. If senior politicians were serving as pundits, the marriage was now fair game for everyone. In July, Mr Saatchi ignored his own attempts to quell the publicity, issuing a statement to the press claiming that he would divorce Miss Lawson. "I feel I have clearly been a disappointment to Nigella during the last year or so," he wrote. Later that month, the pair issued their first joint statement - to announce their divorce. Miss Lawson ended their 10-year-marriage in just 70 seconds at the High Court, on the grounds of Mr Saatchi's "unreasonable behaviour." But we were to hear much more about his behaviour - and hers - during the trial of their former assistants, which began last month. Day by day, Court 8 at Isleworth Crown Court heard the most intimate details of their relationship. Some of the disclosures covered serious matters, such as Miss Lawson's admission to using cocaine and cannabis, but much of the material concerned the minutiae of their lives together, offering a rare public insight into such a prominent marriage. The jury heard of the couple's expensive lifestyle. There was £25,000 on flowers for their home in less than 18 months, and £10,000 on six tickets for Glastonbury Festival. Then there was the £2,000 Mr Saatchi spent buying cashmere jumpers for his then wife - in every available colour and style. Their personal habits were also scrutinised. Miss Lawson claimed she was only allowed to throw dinner parties once every two years because her ex-husband preferred to take people out to Scott's. The court was even told about Mr Saatchi's "regular routine" in the morning: his preference for weak tea, burnt toast and frappuccinos. Staff were also sent out to buy copies of his books to push them up the bestseller lists, the court was told. No aspect of the collapse of their relationship was spared. Miss Lawson admitted her husband had a "temper" and was a "very controlling person," irritated by her financial independence. She described Mr Saatchi as a "brilliant, but brutal man" who had subjected her to "intimate terrorism." She admitted turning to drugs to make an "intolerable situation tolerable." Mr Saatchi, however, told the court he still "adored" Miss Lawson, and was "utterly bereft" that details of her drug use had been publicised. Much of their correspondence was pored over. "In one of the very rare conversations I have had with Nigella since we split, I asked her whether she was happy and she said yes, she was happy," Mr Saatchi said. "She said "I'm happy because I don't feel I have to ask for a pass to do what I feel like doing" and I said, "You never had to ask for a pass."" Throughout the weeks, discussion kept returning to that day at Scott's. Mr Saatchi insisted he did not "throttle" his ex-wife, and was only trying to "make her focus." Miss Lawson, however, said he reached across to her when she said how much she was looking forward to having grandchildren. "He grabbed me by the throat and said "I'm the only person you should be concerned with, I'm the only person who should be giving you pleasure,"" she said. In one last exchange in Court 8, Mr Saatchi gave an insight into the intrusion the former couple have suffered since that lunch. "If you think this process is giving me any pleasure, you're mistaken," he said. I hate it.