Holby star Lisa Faulkner cooks up a storm to win Celebrity MasterChef

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By Liz Thomas

'Fantastic palate': Actress Lisa Faulkner is crowned Celebrity MasterChef 2010


She was crippled by nerves and self-doubt and was certain she would be knocked out of the contest on the first day.

But actress Lisa Faulkner has been named Celebrity MasterChef - and hailed as the best winner yet.

The 38-year-old, best known for her roles in Holby City and Spooks, impressed judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace with her palate and creativity.


In the kitchen: The Spooks and Holby star demonstrates the absolute concentration needed to win the prestigious prize


Wallace said: 'You can't want for anything else from food other than to put it in your mouth and go "Oh my word".

'Lisa elevates humble food into something beautiful. She's possibly the best celebrity MasterChef winner we have ever had.'

Viewers watched Miss Faulkner struggle with her confidence in the kitchen during the course of the series, often leading to tears.


Finalist: Dick Strawbridge is watched by judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace


Fell at last hurdle: Christine Hamilton won through to the final of Celebrity MasterChef


She said: 'Before I did the show the most difficult dish I'd made was a Christmas cake. I'd never cooked lobster and my knowledge of seafood went about as far as cooking salmon.

'I'm really proud of myself. I've loved learning so much.'

Miss Faulkner beat author Christine Hamilton and Coast presenter Dick Strawbridge to the title.


What a dish: The star presents her food to judges on show


The best: Lisa Faulkner with her trophy after cooking up a storm


The trio had to complete a series of challenges over the past week which included cooking a three-course meal at the Michelin-starred L'Autre Pied in London for chefs including Angela Hartnett and Michel Roux Jr.

The final task was to prepare a three-course meal for the show's judges.

Lisa's winning menu included pan-fried monkfish with a butternut squash fondant and a dessert of almond panna cotta with poached tamarillos and berries.

source :dailymail

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Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson is back shooting a new TV show (and curvy as ever)

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By Chris Johnson


Tasty: Nigella Lawson looked immaculate and as voluptuous as ever as she filmed her new TV series in London yesterday


After Sophie Dahl's disastrous BBC cookery show earlier this year, it looks like Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson has been called in to save the day.

The voluptuous star, who has been absent from our screens for more than a year, has been spotted filming her new food show at a grocery shop in London.

With a basket in hand, filled with vegetables, the 50-year-old brunette looked immaculate and curvy as ever in a flowing black dress, blue top and jacket.

She was pictured outside a shop in St Johns Wood in north-west London, being regularly attended to between takes by her stylist.

According to reports the BBC has commissioned a new 13-part series for this autumn.
Her last appearance with the Beeb was back in December 2008 with her festive-themed show Nigella's Christmas Kitchen.


Looking good: The Domestic Goddess is said to be returning to the BBC for a 13-part series this autumn following Sophie Dahl's cookery show which flopped


Over the past year she has been busy promoting her recipes across the pond in America, as well as writing a new book, Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home.


On a knife edge: 'Delicious Dahl's' BBC2 show didn't cut the mustard


The book will be released in September and no doubt coincide with her television series.

Fans of the kitchen queen, married to art collector Charles Saatchi, will no doubt be eagerly awaiting her return.

Her younger rival Sophie, 32, the granddaughter of children's author Roald Dahl, had her show axed earlier this year after attracting poor viewing figures.

Despite being dubbed 'Delicious Dahl' she could not quite live up to the reputation of Ms Lawson, whose cookery shows have been well received over the years.

Just 1.4million viewers tuned in to watch Dahl's final episode back in April. To put that in perspective, Lawson's viewing figures peaked at 3.4million with her BBC show Nigella Express in 2007.

Nigella posted a message on her site saying: 'Now I'm filming the TV series [to accompany her new book] and having a lot of fun, but it does rather keep me away from my computer and this site.

'As ever, my book took rather longer than it should have, partly because I did the App in the middle of it, and partly because I kept adding recipes and rejigging things.

'So, for the past couple of months, I've pretty well been shut in my study, slaving over a hot computer. But now the book - a whopping 500 pages of it - is finished and will be out at the beginning of September.

Ready for your close up? A stylist ensures Nigella is looking her very best






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Move over, Nigella... Sophie Dahl's here

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By Paul Revoir

Revealing: Sophie leaves little to the imagination as she leans to reach the oven


You could be forgiven for expecting to be offered some top culinary tips.

But in the latest clips of her forthcoming TV series, the delectable Sophie Dahl seems more interested in making herself the main ingredient.

After toying seductively with an olive and licking her lips lasciviously in the first episode, she puts on an even more coquettish act in the second - leaving herself open to criticism she is trying a little too hard to outdo her voluptuous kitchen rival Nigella Lawson.

Indeed, wearing a low-cut polka dot top and leaning forward to place a dish in the oven, the 32-year-old presenter makes Nigella look straight-laced in comparison.

When the camera is not lingering on Miss Dahl in the kitchen, it is following her as she hangs around train stations and graveyards, talking about falling in love with strangers and the art of seduction.

While the first episode of The Delicious Miss Dahl, to be shown on BBC2 on Tuesday, is about 'spoiling yourself', the second - to be broadcast the following week - takes the theme of romance.


Rivals: Nigella Lawson, left, and Sophie bring sexiness to the kitchen

She advises would-be lovers to avoid oysters during the seduction phase because they are 'an open invitation to carnal knowledge', advising that scallops are 'far less obvious'.

She also reveals that the first time she cooked for a man he 'wolfed down' her spaghetti carbonara but didn't touch her chocolate mousse - and left without kissing her.


Seductive: The 32-year-old presenter's show explores love and romance as well as cooking. It begins next Tuesday


And here's one I made earlier: Sophie, dressed in more modest attire, with one of her puddings

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The Hardcore Kitchen Ep. 1

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