Off The Telly - What Shall We Watch? Favourite TV Chefs

Episode Date: January 31, 2025

For this bonus episode, Nat and Jo are chatting about one of their favourite telly genres - cooking shows. They hear from listeners about their fave chefs and cooking telly, including Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Angela Hartnett. Plus they give backstage goss about some of the shows they've been on themselves. What was it like for Jo on Cooking With The Stars and Ready Steady Cook? How was Nat's experience on Sunday Brunch and has she ever been asked to do MasterChef?Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat about all things on and off the telly. What they can’t stop watching, what they definitely aren’t going to bother with, new releases and comforting classics – TV is timeless and no telly is out of bounds. As well as having a natter about what’s on TV, they share backstage goss from the world of telly, whilst also cracking up about the more humbling moments in their lives. Self-confessed TV addicts and stars of two of the biggest shows on our screens, EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey, Natalie and Joanna are the perfect companions to see what’s occurring on and off the telly.Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to 03306 784704.Hosts: Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Listeners, if you want to know when a new episode of Off The Telly has dropped, make sure you've subscribed to Off The Telly on BBC Sounds and have push notifications turned on in your phone settings. What are push notifications? Well, it's dead easy, Jo, right? I'll show you how to do it later. It basically means that as soon as a new episode drops, it'll appear on your phone. Oh, that's clever. I like that.

Well, if I can manage to do it, then you guys at home can too. And then you won't miss any episodes of Off The Telly. New episodes drop every Wednesday on BBC Sounds. And now I think it's time for this week's episode. You lucky, lucky things. Enjoy. Hello and welcome to Off The Telly, what shall we watch? Favourite TV chefs. Ooh, lovely. You all right, darling?

I'm very well, thank you. Well, I'm very excited. This episode is going to be all about our favourite TV chefs and cooking shows. And we can't wait to hear all your voice notes about them. I could just talk about cooking programmes all the time. But what is it about them, right? Because for me, I've never once watched a cookery programme and then gone and cooked any of that and taken it into my life. What I watch is, oh my God, I love Nigella's Kitchen. Oh, look at the lights. Oh, look at the fairy lights in Jamie's house.

Look how we've decorated for Christmas. Look at all the friends coming round. It is really interesting, isn't it? Because I think you're right. I can't remember watching a programme, apart from Jamie Oliver Christmas Eve, that I watch every year without fail, and I've taken his stuff into my kitchen.

His gravy, his potatoes like everything I love him but apart from him I'll sit and I'll watch and I'll think that is incredible that's amazing I never copy it I never go and make it no I'd be happy if someone did it for me but I think I just like sitting down and just feeling like I'm being looked after and I'm in in that house and, oh, I love the way she's decorated. And even though it's probably not even any of their houses, but I like going, oh, look at Mary Berry's kitchen. Oh, look at Mary's dishes up there. Look at her dresser.

Oh, God, right, I might think about doing something like that in my kitchen. I love the colour of that wall and that's what I love. I love it. And I love with Jamie Oliver when his children come in and then they do a bit of cooking. I know what I love. I love it. And I love with Jamie Oliver when his children come in and then they do a bit of cooking. I know. I know. Do you think he does that all the time?

Or just for the show? I kind of think that he does do it all the time. I do. I'll tell you why I think so. Because he grew up in a pub called The Cricketers with his mum and dad. And that's where he learned to cook. So I believe he wants to do the same for his children.

And I believe one of his children, I'm sure I've seen it on Insta, he's got a cookbook. Oh, my God. I wouldn't be surprised because I've seen one of his little boys and I've seen him going in and he like cooks and stuff. So obviously Jamie must be doing it in real life and stuff because, I mean, his son can do it. So, you know.

Well, it's like Gordon Ramsay, you see. Now, Gordon Ramsay is brilliant, but I absolutely loved, and Eliza used to love it, Tilly Ramsay had her own show. Oh, did she? On the BBC, CBBC. And it was Tilly's show

and Gordon appeared in it. You should watch that because you'll just be really nosy because that is Gordon's house. Is it? They're in Cornwall. They're in America. You see the whole of Gordon's life through Tilly,

who's cooking. Oh, now, right. And that's on CBBC, is it? Yeah, Tilly Ramsey. Right, okay. I'd have to do that then because, yeah, because that is what it is for me. I mean, I've got um memories of when Jamie

was doing stuff all the way through Covid and then he was in like sort of like this little outhouse kitchen pantry type thing that's right outside he did a lot with the barbecue and all of that yeah he's a clever sod god so good but I just love a bit of Nigella I don't I just can't forget the um episode she did when she was in. She was on a barge and she was making cocktails. And I thought I could just sit here and watch this all day. I just love it. But I can't extend it to me going, right, come on, Jo. Let's do this.

I've got no interest at all in doing it for anybody else. No interest. Don't want to socialise. I was thinking about this episode that we were doing today. And another thing that I wanted to talk about was my love of watching kind of the professionals master chef the professionals or great british menu with like the top chefs yes i love how long it takes certain things so there'll be 16 steps for a mousse bouche and how long it takes and i really like going to michelin star restaurants

it's probably the poshest most fanciest thing about me yeah I like that's my treat and what's it like well have you not you must have been

to a Michelin star chef I don't know if I oh well yes I have because oh here we go I did cooking with the stars

and I was with Michael Haynes so obviously I went to stay at his big hotel and restaurant and he cooked for us and it was the first time

that I'd actually sat there and I ordered I kind of tried to mirror what I was cooking and for Michael to do it because I was like

right come on then you're trying to teach me to whatever let's see your goods coming out of the kitchen and it was out of this world and they matched wine to every single course.

We did the whole long thing. Wine pairing, yeah. Yeah, 16 courses or something and a different glass of wine with each one. It was out of this world. It was incredible. I've never tasted food like it. It was incredible. I would rather spend my money on that and save up than a weekend break.

That's weird, isn't it that's weird yeah no it's not because this was just like a whole experience I mean it's just it's just like a really good big experience you know it's fantastic it really is but when I was working on cooking with the stars what was it like Jo absolutely terrifying it was terrifying it was terrifying. It was terrifying. It's the most stressed I have ever felt in my entire life. And you start cooking, and for some reason, as soon as you start, and they're all sitting there watching you, your hands just start going. There was one round where I cut myself twice because the knives were so sharp, and I was shaking.

I was literally like that, shaking. Because the thing I was most scared about was not having enough time. It wasn't like doing the recipe right or doing this or do it was just not having enough time and it was one of the most scariest times I have ever experienced in my life I got down to the last three I ended up coming third that is amazing I gotta be honest it was right because I thought I was going out on the first round and I just I didn't and so I got to the last three it was me Peter Andre and Samia from combination street yes yes and um and uh she went on to win Peter came second and I came third I've been asked to do MasterChef a couple of times you know like interest in it not not yeah would you

like you know would you ever do it or have you And I am petrified because I love cooking shows so much. Yeah. I feel like I really want to do one, but I want to be a retired woman at home where all I do is cook for six months before I do a show like it so I can knock everyone's blocks off because I want to be really good at it. I take it really seriously, you know?

I can imagine you will because you've got a passion for it right because with cooking with the stars I am not the most amazing cook and I don't particularly enjoy doing it and I thought oh come on just you know just get through the first round so you're not first out and that'll be fine but when I was there I just thought oh my god right if I worked hard at this I would be good and my competitiveness then started taking over I was like I don't want to be knocked out now I know I can do this so if you went on you because you've got a passion for it you'd be like oh my god I want to get this right I want to do as good as I can I can just imagine you're a master chef where you go oh god Jo Page has served 10 more teasers in a cup with a snowball.

Joanna Page has served a prawn cocktail for starters, fish fingers and oven chips for her main and arctic roll for her dessert. Followed with a glass of snowball with a little snifter of baby sham. The thing with MasterChef, though, you've got to come up with your own recipes and I wouldn't be able to do that. I mean, that's hard. I'd love to see you on MasterChef.

Yeah, I'd like to do it. Not going to lie. Yeah. Maybe one day. I think you'd be really good at it. Well, I'd probably be awful. But yeah, I would like to do it. It's a little dream of mine.

Do you ever watch Australian MasterChef? No, but I've seen clips of it and it looks damn good because they seem pretty solid. It's amazing. One year, it was COVID. I got so into it. There's about 450 shows per season. It goes on and on.

They're about five hours long. Oh my God. It was just the perfect thing to get into. The food they cook and just the whole show is brilliant. I only watched it

when I had nothing to do. But I highly recommend it. Oh my God. Australian MasterChef. Oh, I think I'll give that a go. Do you know what I started watching with the kids sometimes? Because on Netflix

they'll watch Is It Cake? Yes. And then they'll watch Is It Cake? Yes. And then they'll watch other stuff where they've got those massive big cake things that they've got to make. And there was one that we watched recently with the two Harry Potter twins and they were presenting it. And it was all set in the Harry Potter studios. And they had to do different sort of Harry Potter themed, massive, big cake type things. And I've watched those with the kids and we love watching Is It Cake?

as well. And that's not kind of like a cookery programme but it kind of is because they're making cakes. They are cooking. They're baking. That's why we love the bake-off. I love all of it.

Before we get into the voice notes and stuff we had loads of you get in touch about our reality TV episode saying how much you enjoyed it including this voice note from Steph. I'm sorry but Dean Gaffney covered in paint, spinning around on this bush tucker trial has to be one of the funniest things I think I've ever seen.

Thank you so much, Nat, for the recommendation. I've just finished watching Alison and Rusty Lee and being from the area myself, just i love them absolute queens um but this dean gaffney how he didn't pass out the amount of hyperventilating yeah it's an absolute miracle um and anton dex reactions i think that is just as funny. Them trying to be professional, empathetic, but also, oh, just gold. Thank you so much. It really made my day.

Did I watch the right one? Because I saw the one where he's like, just he's heaving before he's even done anything. And then he goes, he has to put his head in stuff and he is like going, is it on me? Is it on me? Is it on me? Is it on me?

Oh my God. It's so funny. It's so funny. I love him like a real brother. Is he really lovely? Yeah, he's lovely. Good as gold. He seems like such a lovely fella.

And he was actually really good in the Bake Off. Like, naturally talented, wasn't he? He was good, wasn't he? Yeah. Very good. Yeah. Apart from his showstopper. He had a go. He'd never cooked in his life. He did brilliantly well. Brilliantly well talking of the cooking shows. But his showstopper was absolutely

hilarious. It looked like a prison cell. Little prison cell with a dog biscuit that didn't even look like a dog. Bless his heart. Bless his heart. Have you been on Sunday brunch? I've been, yeah. I've been on Sunday brunch. I've been on James Martens. Have you done Saturday? Yeah.

Yeah, the Saturday kitchen. Oh, my God. I got drunk on Sunday brunch. Well, I was about to say that to you. Oh, my God. It was amazing. I was hammered on there. Were you?

What were you drinking? Well, I think there was a cocktail and then I'd try the wine. And instead of having a sip of each, I sort of, you know, really polished them off. It's only midday. I was really overexcited as well, right? Because I went on and Gary Barlow was on and Alfie Bowe was on. And it was like some Christmas thing, right? And then Gary Barlow got like this keyboard out and started playing.

And then Alfie Bowe joined in in and then I joined in as well and I was like right damn it I'm putting that down on my CV that I basically sang with the pair of them yeah and then they started Simon Rimmer started doing these um hot gin cocktails for Christmas and so I'd never had like a hot gin cocktail I was trying all these different ones right and I just full-on just drank all of them and then it got to a point oh my god when I was sitting on the desk and we were chatting away and I started giggling hysterically because I was pissed and then I started trying to tell a story about I want to say it again now about horse racing and in my head I couldn't get the words out and I kept going it's all about's all about racehorsing.

And they were laughing going, it's not that. And I was like, it's racehorsing. It's racehorsing. It's horsing race. It was brilliant fun though. Great fun. Great show. I think when I did it, I was trying to show them something

and I put on the Magimix and I forgot to open the lid to put it in I couldn't I was quite discombobulated by the alcohol that I'd consumed but you know I must say they don't do that on purpose everyone they don't apply you with alcohol you're just meant to have a sip of everything it was completely my fault and I loved it me and James went on ready steady cook once and we competed oh shut up. Oh shut up. Yeah he was doing steak and chips and everything. Was he on with Ainsley? Yes yes yes it was Ainsley presenting. This is iconic. And then we had two separate chefs and James was cooking steak and chips and I was cooking like baked camembert with garlic and everything in it and then strawberries dipped in chocolate and with a glass of champagne. Hang on a minute I have to say. And I didn't even do anything on mine.

I basically stood next to my chef, right, and just smiled. Baked camembert is not cooking. What made me laugh, right, was that James, because he was so nervous, right, and then when they went, ready, steady, cook, and then it starts, right? My James went to the sink because you have to on camera be seen as going like this and washing your hands, you know, to be seen as doing that

before you start cooking. My James went and he went to do the sink and he didn't realise it was like a prop and so he went like that and nothing came out so he panicked

and started miming washing his hands as if water was coming out. That is hilarious. I beat him, right? And then I went on with a fellow actress I was working with, Ella Smith, and I beat her on it as well. So back home, we've got two ready, steady plates saying winner. It's my biggest achievement.

That is amazing. And I'm surprised that's not come up before. I'm impressed, Jo. You never cease to amaze me. I'm quite gutted, right, that, for this special. I should be sitting here wearing my apron, which says cooking with the stars, because I came third, and holding both of my plates,

saying ready, steady, cook, winner, above my head. Yeah, you should. It's upsetting. Or you could have just dressed up as a giant red pepper and I could have been a tomato. Yes. Shall we have some voice notes? Yes.

Thank you so much, listeners, for all your voice notes. Otherwise, we couldn't have done this cooking special and we would never have found out the achievements of Ready Steady Cook, Jo. Yeah. Hi, Jo. Hi, Nat. My favourite TV chef is Angela Hartnett.

I think she's brilliant. I love her podcast with Nick Grimshaw, Dish. Oh, Jo. Hi, Nat. My favourite TV chef is Angela Hartnett. I think she's brilliant. I love her podcast with Nick Grimshaw, Dish, with Waitrose. They have a lot of celebrities that go on to the show. Lots of quickfire questions, which are really interesting to get to know people more. And really great discussions. And it's really relaxed and very fun to watch. So yes, I'd say she's my favourite TV chef. I think you're absolutely right. Now, Angela Hartner was in a BBC Two cooking show called Best Home Cook. Oh.

It was brilliant. Never came back. It was celebrities cooking, but toad in the hole. Yes, I remember. Shepherd's pies, homely stuff. Ed was on it. Gamble? No, the one from GMB now.

What's his name? Ed Balls. Ed Balls won it. He was brilliant. He made a trifle. He made a banging Shepherds' Pie. Did he? Yeah, he was brilliant.

He's a great cook, a really good cook. And I really loved it. And it never came back. I was quite devastated because I would have done that one. Was's a great cook, a really good cook. And I really loved it. And it never came back. I was quite devastated because I would have done that one. Was Mary a judge on it as well? I think Mary turned up a few times. But Angela Hartner was there and she was brilliant, not only as a chef, but as a presenter.

I really liked her. Very straight talking. And I do like Nick and Angela on Dish, I have to say. Never been invited on. Yes. Oh, my gosh. I absolutely love that and i remember watching angela in her kitchen saying about making pasta and i remember her doing this whole thing in

her kitchen and i'm not sure if i was just watching her on the internet doing it i don't know why i saw her doing it she was chatting away about how she made pasta and everything and she was really interesting i really like her as well yeah and they're both straight talking on that podcast, aren't they? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Should we have another voice note? Yes. River Cottage, Journey River Cottage series with Hugh Fairley Whittingstall. It's really hard to find them on any streamers at the moment.

And they haven't made a new one for quite a while, but it's definitely always my go-to comfort show. And last year for my 50th birthday, my husband bought me a River Cott cottage experience where you go for the day and you do a little bit of things in the garden and then cooks various different meals and food. And it was absolutely amazing. It's one of the best things I've ever done.

What a man, what a husband. Yes. What a husband you've got there. Yeah, that's really lovely, having an experience like that. I used to love, what's his name now? Heston Blumenthal. And, you know, I've never ever been to his restaurant or anything, but he would do like a whole big menu, wouldn't he?

And you'd go and it would be like a whole big mental experience, wouldn't it? The Fat Duck. Yes. My brother went there. And what did he say it was like? He had to get a kebab on the way home. He was starving.

Did he really? Yeah. That is true. Oh, my God. But I shan't go into it. I shan't go into it at the moment. Do you know, right, you know the first ever series of the Great British Menu, right?

Yes. Me and James got invited to the big, big final of it. And it was in the Shard in London. This was years ago, the first ever series, right? Yeah. And I hadn't even been watching the series. So I had no idea what it was. I had no idea who anybody was.

And I got sent this invite. And I was like, OK, all right then, I'll go. I turned up, right, in this gorgeous, like, pink dress that I'd borrowed, right? And we turned up. I sat down on a table opposite Tracey Emin, sitting next to Ronnie Corbett. No! Then sitting next to, right, Michelle Rue,

with Sophie Ellis-Bexter sitting next to her as well. How did you get there? God only knows, right, because we'd not even been watching it. We'd just got sent an invite. Oh, my God. And then there was something about Terry Logan as well. I've've never been anywhere like that i've never done anything like that there was something about terry wogan and i can't remember what it was was the terry there i don't know but there was something about terry wogan as well and then i so we went in and i just remember

eating the food chatting away to ronnie and his wife and he was utterly adorable he was adorable oh and camilla parker bowles his son he was on it as He was adorable. Oh, and Camilla Parker-Bowles' son. He was on it as well. Oh, my God. Because James, oh, my God. Because his, her son.

Yeah, he cooks, doesn't he? Something Parker-Bowles, he cooks. I've actually got, and I think he did a book in conjunction with Fulham Mason, which I've got downstairs. Anyway, going off piste.

I'm going off piste. Do you know what James said, right? He was sitting next to us and then James actually said to Camilla Parker-Bowles' son, oh, my God, I'm not used to eating food I'm going off piste. Do you know what James said, right? He was sitting next to us and then James actually said to Camilla Parker Bowles' son, oh my God, I'm not used to eating food like this. Tom! Tom! Yes, yes.

Tom. James went, oh my God, I'm not used to eating food like this. I'm from Bradford. Flippin' heck, this is stuff like the blinking, like Prince Charles would be eating. And I sat there and I said to him, he's Camilla Parker Bowles' son.

Will you just shut up? Well, he wasn't wrong, was he? Well, he wasn Well, he wasn't wrong, was he? Well, he wasn't. He wasn't wrong, was he? No, he wasn't wrong at all. People look at me funny when I walk into the older posh restaurants. I do it all the more. I go, hello, shall we? Like, you alright? I love the wine pairing, please.

Are you sure? It's like Pretty Woman almost, you know? You do it on purpose. I can't believe you're there should we have another voice note these are brilliant thanks everyone um i'm sure i'm not going to be alone here when i mention nigella lawson um there's one that's my favorite which is when she's got some friends coming over for dinner and her whole thing of this episode is you know make things easy for yourself so um she makes some hummus, and then she sort of says, and what I love to do is go to my local delicatessen

and just pick some bits out from there. And she sort of gets a bit of a charcuterie plate and some cheeses, and then she puts out her hummus, and I was like, I mean, I can do that. I do do that. I do do that. I regularly go to the deli and just get some bits and have that. So that was fun. And then the other one that I really like is one where she's coming out, coming back from a night out and she's in the cab and she's like, stop, stop, stop.

And there's a chippy and she goes and gets some chips. And then she says, I'm not going to eat them in the cab. I'm going to save them for when I get home. And she gets home and she gets out a tortilla wrap and puts hummus on it and then puts the chips on it with salt and I think some lemon juice and then just says, apply to face. And again, I'm going to say say nigella not really a recipe but i love that she puts them into her episodes anyway classic moments i mean she was really camp

i mean some of the stuff it is true popping down to the deli and just chucking it on a plate is not cooking i don't know how she'd get away with it i mean she was a very good cook she is a very good cook she's not dead i don't know why i'm saying was in the past tense. But why has he not mentioned the microwave? Oh, my God. What did she say about that? Is that what she chooses to call it? She called it the microwave instead of the microwave. Another one for you to look up, Jo. Just pop it in the microwave. In the microwave. Do you know what I can't believe, right? That they'll do something. They'll go, oh, this roast dinner now, there's three carrots,

there's five potatoes, and, you know, there's this pudding now, and it's for, like, 26 people. And they put it all out. And I go, well, that, right, that's my serving. Like, just for me. That's, I don't, it's never enough. I have to say, I've seen that with Jamie Oliver. I have to say, I love him to pieces,

but I've seen him cook a joint of meat at Christmas and you go, this is the bird, the bird's in the oven, 50,000 people turn up. I go, that turkey's not fucking fed all them. There's no way. No way. There's like seven potatoes, seven boiled potatoes, seven roast potatoes.

You know, there's a selection of like 24 Brussels sprouts. I've eaten 12 Brussels sprouts in a go once, right? And it's like, if I was going to feed everyone, I'd have to do about three times that much. I know, I know. I have got better. I have got better with the portion sizes. I have got smaller.

Because otherwise you're in a food coma. I have got better at the potatoes and everything. I have slimmed it down a bit. Serious? What's wrong with being in a food coma. I have got better at the potatoes and everything. I have slimmed it down a bit. Serious? What's wrong with being in a food coma? That's the best bet. No, it's just too much. I know, but then there's loads to do.

You get to five o'clock Sunday, you've eaten. I've still got shit loads to do. And then I can't do anything about it. I can't do it. Let's have another bloody voice note for crying out loud. Hi, guys. So there's this one episode of gordon ramsay's kitchen nightmares where there's a chef who's never cooked mussels before and gordon ramsay was like how can you

have never cooked mussels before you sell seafood and cook seafood and this guy he didn't have a clue what to say or how to defend himself to gordon rams. So he just literally stood there for the whole entire argument and was going, uh, uh, uh. And I'm like, can you imagine? You're on TV. This is your time to shine. This is your time to promote your restaurant and be cool and be awesome.

And all you have to say to Gordon is like, no, I've never done it before. Do you think you can show me how to do it? And what he did was just make stupid noises and he sounded like, no, I've never done it before. Do you think you can show me how to do it? And what he did was just make stupid noises and it sounded like a seal. It's probably what I would do, actually, if I met Gordon Ramsay, because I'd be so excited. Yeah.

Have you ever cocked muscles? Do you know, I've got a bit of a funny thing about muscles. Why? I really like muscles if they're little. But if you get a big one, it looks like a vagina. I know, but I hunt out for the big ones because they're the best. I don't like them.

I don't like the big ones. I can't eat them. Oh, my God. Have you ever had a muscle where it's not open? Oh, my God. No, you're not allowed to eat those no you're not i will never ever ever forget right it was on the king's road next to the old dutch pancake place and there was a place that me and james went into and i'm talking right about 20 years ago but i'll still

never forget it and it was a place where you have to climb up steps and we were sort of sitting up really high and we ordered mussels and it arrived and then he picked one up and it was closed and he said, I'm going to force it open. And I went, don't, don't, you're not supposed to. And he went, no, I'm just going to open it. He opened it, right, and the smell that came out, I don't think he could eat for a week afterwards

because the smell just went straight through him and it was just, it stuck with him. And now to this day, if I say about that muscle, it still makes him just go like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, no. I'm not massively, I shouldn't eat seafood. Why?

Crustaceans. Yeah, well, intolerant. Yeah, it's not good. I sometimes ignore it. I have the old prawn or lobster, but I shouldn't eat it really. Yes. But yeah, the old muscle, muscle, more for it is lovely. But I have to be small. I can't do the big. You can't do it, really. Yes. But, yeah, the old muscle, muscle, Mulfrit is lovely,

but I have to be small. I can't do the big... You can't do the big ones? Not at all. I can't even talk about it, actually. Really? Yeah. Oh, my God. Yeah.

Someone else we have not mentioned yet, and I have to mention, is Nigel Slater. Oh, yes, you love Nigel Slater, don't you? I really, really love him. He's sort of North London, and he's got his

you know and he's just really brilliant and I think he still does all the Guardian stuff now but his cookbooks I know I do bang on

about it all the time but I feel like I owe it to him that his cookbooks for me are the best cookbooks not so much for the recipe

but for the writing they're proper books you can sit and read them they're brilliant I do need to mention him because I do think he's absolutely brilliant even though Not so much for the recipe, but for the writing. They're proper books. You can sit and read them. They're brilliant. I do need to mention him because I do think he's absolutely brilliant. Even though I haven't really watched loads of his shows because I was quite young, I think, when they were out. I just wasn't really interested then. But his books are my absolute favourite.

But I love a good cookbook, right? And I have got loads on the shelves in my kitchen. I've got so many, Jo. It's a bit of an issue. I don't use any of them. I've never cooked anything from them. I have just from Delia's book, right? And I have got loads on the shelves in my kitchen. I've got so many, Jo, it's a bit of an issue. I don't use any of them. I've never cooked anything from them. I have just from Delia's book, right? I've got like Delia's basics and I've used stuff from that. I've used one recipe to cook pancakes and that's it. That's the only thing I've ever used from all of my cookbooks ever. I have got, I couldn't tell you how many. It's an issue. Really? Yeah, I mean, I've got a lot.

But do you have lovely recipes that you have from them? I do. No, no, no. I have cooked a few, but nowhere near enough for the volume of books I've got. About how many have you got? I don't know. Over 100. In your kitchen? Oh, my God. I know. Over 100.

If you had to just pick one and all the rest, you would go into a desert island and you had to pick one, what one would it be? That's a really hard question. This could be a great idea for a pod. I would choose... I would have to choose Jamie Oliver. Would you?

Yeah, because I use it the most, the Christmas one, his Christmas book. Then it would be Delia, Christmas. Yes. I've got an Antonio Carluccio, which is out of this world. And I've got a Heston Blumenthal, which is really good, but very, very complicated. Oh, no, I've got loads. Ottolenghi's book on salads

is absolutely divine for the summer just so you can do stuff different. But yeah, when you come round I'll show you them all. My God, I can't wait. I just want you to cook for me. I promise you soon that is happening. Definitely.

You're all coming over for dinner. Definitely. You just can coming over for dinner. Definitely. Definitely. God. You just can't wear your sandals. I don't know, but I'll wear them especially. Certainly not in my house. And I'll bring massive vagina muscles as well. If you like large muscles, I get it.

They're just not for me. Yes. Yeah. Same as a... Oyster. What do you call it? Have you heard of oysters? they're just not for me. Yes. Yeah. Same as a oyster. What do you call it? Have you heard I've had food poisoning

twice from oysters. Again. Yeah. They're tiny. Yeah. Tiny little ones. I don't mind it with a little bit of shallot

little bit of whatever you put on it. Tabasco is it? Yes. I've had a couple not minded. Yeah. I got one once

it was so big. No it was like an eating challenge I thought never again never ever again how is that enjoyable it's not enjoyable at all oh my god right I had food poisoning twice from from oysters and one time right it started kicking in as I was still sitting um in the restaurant and oh my god I thought I was going to have to be hospitalized it was terrible but after that I did eat oysters again.

And I remember sitting on the tube on my way home, literally starting to get the sweats and feeling like really dizzy. You've probably got an allergy to them like me. Not an allergy. You're probably intolerant to them. And each time you have them, it gets worse. I bet if you did a test, I bet you. Well, after that one, I was like, I'm done.

There's no way I can have those again. Oh, it was horrific. Horrific. Oh, but I was like I'm done there's no way I can have those again oh it was horrific horrific oh but I do like seafood I do as well I see food and I eat it all let's have a voice note hi ladies it's Kate here from Middlesbrough I just wanted to say how much I'm recommending your podcast recently um to new parents um I really wish it had been around when my boys were were babies and toddlers. It's just the perfect thing to feel, you know, when you're playing with small children and you feel like I just need some adult contact. And if I could have had your pod on in the background, it would have made all the difference because it just feels like listening to friends, having a

chat. So thank you so much for that. And it's definitely keeping me company while I'm doing my chores um the other thing that I wanted to ask given your topic this week is about um tv chefs um can you think of any chefs that you'd really recommend for a teenager or kind of just that pre-teen age and my son is really into cooking um and and to be honest I think eventually we'll end up presenting his own tv show um on the telly at some point uh in the future because he's he's quite personable and really loves like sharing how he's made things um so yeah watch this space on that one um but in the meantime if you've got any recommendations for kind of that family friendly like he doesn't like baking that much so we do watch bake off and we watched great

british menu he enjoys that and he got really interested in cooking by watching tommy banks um at one point um and we live in uh as i said we live in middle express so we're not too far from um where tommy banks is from um so that regional link helped but yeah anything that you can think of along those lines would really help us out thank you i. Oh, and I just think everything, just any cooking. You say family-friendly. That's what's brilliant about cooking shows. It's all family-friendly. Maybe not Nigella.

We might get a bit excited. I don't know how old she is. You said pre-teen. But Tilly Ramsey's brilliant. CBBC, as I said. She's brilliant because, again, she's quite young. But it's all her brothers and sisters, siblings. They're all on the beach.

She makes stuff. They do stuff. So it's really good, I think, for the younger audience. That's who I would say, I think. Oh, that's lovely. Imagine having a son who's, you know, practising cooking and you'd be like, all right, go on then, do all of your stuff. I'll taste all of it. Brilliant.

It's brilliant, isn't it? Isn't it lovely when they've got a passion? Yeah, it is, isn't it? Really nice. Really, really good. Jo, can you believe how quickly that went? That's it. No, I can't.

Because we've obviously got a passion for food and cooking and chefs. I mean, my God, that was effortless. It was really, really good. We just love food and cooking and everything. Yeah. Talk about it till the cows come home. Thank you so much for all your voice notes. We so appreciate it, don't we? Yeah, we wouldn't be able to do this come home. Thank you so much for all your voice notes. We so appreciate it, don't we?

Yeah, we wouldn't be able to do this without them. Thank you. And for our next bonus episode, we'd like to hear voice notes about your favourite travel shows. God, there's loads of good ones, but we want to hear what your favourites are. I'm really looking forward to this one, you know, because there are loads.

I would go immediately to Rob and Ryland. Oh my god, I literally had that in my head! Yeah, it's a cracker. And also, I have to say that I've really enjoyed Amanda and Alan's Spanish trip. Oh, have you? And I've not been watching that. Is it good? Yeah, it's just

so funny. Alan fancies one of the blokes. He keeps saying, oh, you've got to help me, you've got to help me. Really funny. But yeah, you know, it'sokes who keeps saying, oh, you've got to help me, you've got to help me. Really funny. But yeah, you know, it's a bit of history in there and they're really good together and it's just beautiful scenery. You just can't beat a good travel show. And then we could go right back, couldn't we? Yeah.

And think about holiday. Oh my God, Judith Chalmers and everything. I mean, I remember that when I was little. And I really liked when Miriam Margulies went off with all of the, it was for the exotic Marigold Hotel. You know, I can't remember, you know, from the film. Well, they did it then in real life with everybody sort of going off and, you know, doing that. And then she then started doing her own travel shows then.

And she's got one with Alan Cumming. And I absolutely love her. I just love how unfiltered she is. I've never ever seen this. I've never seen Miriam in a travel show, so I'll look it up. Yes, yes, have a look at that. Well, it's going to be a good one. It's going to be a cracker as always.

Oh, and I tell you what, right, that I do fancy looking at Stanley Tucci doing Searching for Italy because I just know him as an actor, but, I mean, he's full on like a real good cuck, isn't he? Really good. And I watch him on Instagram and he talks about him and his wife all the time. And he just makes me want to cry because he loves her so much. Honestly, follow him on Instagram.

Oh my God, I'm going to. Please do. He's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I got his book actually for Christmas and I'm yet to read it. No, I didn't. I'm lying to you. I got it for my birthday.

My sister and I bought it for my birthday last year and I'm still yet to read it. It's like all the cookbooks. Nothing ever gets opened. I know. Oh my God. That's terrible, isn't it? Well, send us a voice note on WhatsApp all about your favourite travel shows. The number is 03306784704. Oh, I love that, Jo. And I'm starving. I think I'm going to go and make something to eat.

I agree. I haven't done the shop, though. I've got nothing in the house. I'm just going to have to get the Nutella jar out with a spoon and just start eating that. Just dip into the Maltesers again tonight, Jo. You'll be fine. Yeah.

Bless your heart. See you later. See you next week. Bye. Bye, darling. Bye. Bye, darling. Bye, everyone. Off the Telly is hosted by Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page. The producer is Georgia Keating.

The commissioning editor is Rhian Roberts and it's a BBC Studios audio production for BBC Sounds. www.bbc.co.uk and unlikely superheroes. Our mission is to decipher political language. Stress testing to destruction those used and abused buzzwords and phrases. Finding out what they really mean. And looking at whether they're meant to deceive us. Or to distract us. Or to disturb us. And our pledge is to help you spot the tricks of the verbal trait.

But be warned, this series does feature strong political language that some listeners may find an inverted pyramid of piffle. Strong Message here from BBC Radio 4. Listen now on BBC Sounds.