It's hardly suprising that she seems disconnected, given her background. It seems she's the daughter of ex-Tory MP (who defected to Labour in 1999) Shaun Woodward, 57, 'once reputed to be the richest Westminster MP on account of his 53-year-old wife’s fortune', i.e. Ella's mother is a Sainsbury's heiress.
I really hate to quote anything from the 'Daily Mail' Tory rag, but assuming they have their facts correct (for once), this is how the report continues:
"The former MP and his wife – who have four children including celebrity food blogger and writer Ella Woodward, 24 – own several properties including homes in New York, Mustique and the south of France.
Their nine-bedroom home at Poulton Priory in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, was sold last March for £11.5million.
They sold their previous home, a 17th century Oxfordshire mansion, for £24million in 2006."
So, Ella Woodward was hardly just a previously 'unknown food blogger' as someone in this thread mentioned. Does anyone remember how a certain rather ordinary cook called Delia Smith shot to fame using her husband's connection with Sainsbury's (I believe he worked for their publishing section)? Only connect...
Oh, and by the way, the sweet potato brownies are AWFUL. I'm posting here out of pure resentment from having spent my morning making the bloody things only to face huge disappointment at how horrible they are, as others here have posted. 
I don't get much time for baking, so a big thumbs down to smug Ella W on this one...