Come dine with us!
Reporter: Lewis Jones
Date published: 03 February 2012
THE culinary skills of four local foodies will be on show to the nation tonight in a much-loved television series.
The brave cooks invited the cameras from Channel 4’s “Come Dine With Me” into their homes to capture their kitchen capers. The results from the head-to-head challenge will be screened tonight at 7.35pm, and the contestants are biting their nails in anticipation.
Whether garnishing or grilling, frying or filleting, the foursome are sure to make for entertaining viewing.
The production company has already got them pegged as man-eater Kathy, cocktail creator Ben, student Vicki and am-dram extraordinaire James.
Larger-than-life Kathy Howard (36), from Royton, can deliver corking one-liners and is already having reservations about appearing on camera sporting a purple bikini.
Since receiving the all- clear having suffered cervical cancer in her twenties, she’s transformed her life, vowing to “eat clean” and launching Sexy Fit, a local business providing boot-camp style training and nutritional advice for those signing up.
Naturally, she served home-made food including fish cakes and a main dish she dubbed Burn Baby Burn Butternut Squash Curry.
Not exactly the shy and reserved type, she was forced to hold back on her opinions slightly as the last host of the competition during which each cook scores their rivals’ efforts.
She said: “It wasn’t what I expected, I was absolutely shattered by the end. I think they’re going to make me out to be a real man-eater as they filmed me in the gym surrounded by blokes.
“My food went down a treat, not like some of the other stuff that I thought was disgusting.”
Joining her is Ben Brooks, a 25-year-old from Milnrow, who had a portable bar installed in his home to show off his cocktail-spinning talents. Participating in the show was a long-standing ambition for the bartender, who now manages a city centre bar. He said: “I’ve been watching it for years and have always had a menu in mind. When it came to it though it was completely surreal.
“I was spinning cocktails all day doing tricks and I dropped it once, I’m thinking that will be the bit they show.”
Student Vicki Shea was also up for the challenge and invited guests to her home in Shaw, but it was dad-of-two James Schofield who ensured the week had added drama.
A bathroom designer by day, he’s no stranger to appearing on the small screen having bagged parts as an extra in “Emmerdale” and was once the face of the Carcraft adverts.
James (37) said: “I told them from day one I couldn’t cook, so I plumped for easy food.
“I had an absolute ball, everyone seemed to get on well but we’ll have to wait and see what people said about the food.”
Once a star of local stage productions, he added: “My days of making a fool out of myself on the stage are long gone, I just go and do it on TV now instead.”
The group is remaining tight-lipped about who bags the £1,000 prize, so tune in tonight to see who will be crowned Oldham’s kitchen hero.
