This week, Lerato Umah-Shaylor joins me to talk all about the beauty of African cooking. Her new cookbook, Africana, takes us on a journey from north to south, east to west; celebrating all that the continent has to offer. We discuss the politics of jollof rice, and I blow her away with my own jollof rice, which she loved! She opens up about her incredibly interesting childhood both here in the UK and in West Africa, and she explains to me why African food in general is finally having a...

What a gorgeous woman Maimie McCoy is! The British actress came over for a chat about her childhood growing up in a restaurant in Yorkshire, her nostalgic memories of both our childhood restaurant San Lorenzo, and how she learns her lines for each production she’s on. We talk about her brilliant career, working on productions such as ITV’s Van der Valk, the BBC’s The Muskateers and the film The Virgin Territories. We bond over our love of Adam Garcia, and what it was like to act and dance...

You are in for SUCH a treat this week my lovely listeners. The OG TV chef, the king of the cooking show, Ainsley Harriott joined me at the kitchen table to talk all about growing up in South London, his short career as a singer in a band, why hula hoops are the best crisps ever and why Ready, Steady, Cook is still the best cooking show of all time! Ainsley is also back on our screens at the moment with his new show, World Cup Flavours, which sees him chop and chat with some of our greatest...

This week I am joined by the wonderful Amanda Wakeley! The fashion designer is known the world over for her clean and glamourous signature style. She has dressed some of the most famous women in the world including Princess Diana, Michelle Obama and Angelina Jolie. Most recently, Amanda has delved into the podcasting world launched her debut show, Amanda Wakeley: Style DNA, which sees her delve into her guest’s sartorial choices, fashion faux paxs and everything in between. We talk all...

I am so excited to introduce you to Lorraine Copes, the founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality. BIH is a non-profit organisation set up to advance racial inequality in hospitality, food and drink. Launched in 2020, Lorraine’s background working some of the most well known restaurant brands, has paved the way for her to really shine the light on the lack of diversity within the industry and make the much needed changes, as well as educate and coach companies on how to better the workings of their...

I’m back for Season 8!! I cannot believe we’re here already and I have one of the best line ups for you this season. I am kicking things off with the one and only Melanie Blatt from All Saints. Her and the other girls were part of one of the best selling girl bands of all time and are known for their killer tunes Never Ever, Bootie Call and Pure Shores. In recent months, Mel competed on Celebrity Masterchef and was a finalist! Damn can that woman cook! And so it only felt right to have her...

To commemorate the Season 7 finale, I have my mum, Susan Young, on!! You are in for such a treat to get to meet the woman who has inspired me, fed me and loved me my whole life! I felt like after 7 seasons it was time to introduce the queen in my life, my best friend, my “momager”, my disco diva! Mum delves into her incredible childhood between Iran, Norfolk and London and how it set her up for life. She goes back to when her mother met her Iranian father at a dance in the 1950s in England,...

I met Chris Baber over food - of course - at an amazing party at Nobu full of the best canapes! We positioned ourselves right by the kitchen doors – in the firing line, and now it was time to get him over for a chat! Chris reminisces being a child cooking in Northumberland with his granddad; he was influenced by the greats like Ainsley, Gordon and Rick! He went on to win a cooking competition on the BBC and went to work under Atul Kochhar, the Michelin starred chef in London. He talks about...

I’ve followed Sabrina Ghayour’s career for a while now, and so it was a huge pleasure to finally have her on the podcast. She’s just launched her new cookbook, Persiana Everyday, which was a tough process to write as she wrote it through lockdown, whilst dealing with all the things complexities that have come with the last 2 years. It was also challenging to actually write down the recipes she was creating from her head, and working out measurements but she focuses on simple and delicious...

I am so happy I have finally met the man himself, Glyn Fussell. And he came to my house. And he loves my granola! The LGBTQ+ trailblazer joined me to talk all about his epic brand and club night, Sink the Pink, co-founding the festival The Mighty Hoopla, and more recently his new podcast and debut book, Manifesto for Misfits. Glyn grew up in Bristol in a huuuuuge family – he’s one of seven! And it was so interesting to hear about his childhood growing up and the nostalgic dishes that take him...

Clodagh McKenna oozes the most joyful energy, she has the perfect sultry Irish accent, and she came with a signed cookbook for me. What more could you want?! Arriving straight from the This Morning studios, where she’d been whipping up delicious food, the self-proclaimed farmer runs an entire farm at her home in Hampshire. She has it all; animals, fruit and veg and even her own pub! Clodagh reminisces about her idyllic childhood in Ireland running around on the family farm, picking potatoes...

Every now and again I sit down with someone who has a profound effect on me. Jo Malone is one of those people. As the founder of Jo Malone London and Jo Loves, she is the queen of fragrance with her sixth sense of knowing how scents work, and putting different notes together to create some of the best smells in the world. This was an incredibly open and honest conversation, and at times emotional. It was also thought provoking and a lesson into seeing the world in a different way. Jo’s talent...

I sat down with one of my childhood culinary heroes (and my dad’s!), Ken Hom. He recorded from his gorgeous house in France, where he splits his time between there and Thailand. Ken is one of the most celebrated TV chefs of our generation, bringing the flavours of Chinese cooking to our homes. We cover his life in food; how he got into the culinary scene and why he’s still traumatised from his first ever show on the BBC in the 80s! We both bond over the issues with food waste, how much we...

What an honour to have Asma Khan on this week’s podcast. The star – and only British and female chef to be featured on Chef’s Table on Netflix! Asma is a leader in the culinary world; speaking up about women in food, putting women in the kitchen and making space for us! She emotionally opens up to me about writing her new book, Ammu, and how it was a dedication to her mother, the love for her mother but also the acceptance of her mother and how she was loved as a child; through food. She was...

I absolutely loved sitting down with my good friend, Eric Lanlard, the French pâtissier extraordinaire. We recorded from his baking school in South West London, Cake Boy, which is the cake emporium you need to know about! Growing up in North West France, Eric knew what he wanted to do since he was 5 years old and signed up to his local patisserie to make sure he was taken on as an apprentice as a teenager. He regales incredible anecdotes from his time working for the French Navy on the...

It was a pleasure to host Shiza Shahid at my home, the co-founder and owner of Our Place – the cookware brand taking the world by storm. But Our Place is a mere fraction of what this incredible woman stands for. She also co-founded the Malala Fund in 2013, and has fought for women’s rights and the right for education for young girls since she was a teenager.  She is completely in line with my ethos when it comes to food and sharing moments together; the table is for everyone, regardless of...

What better way to bring in episode 2 than with my first ever couple! And they’re not just any couple… Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Richard Jones are the ultimate couple of all couples! They work together; Richard plays base in Sophie’s band, they parent together; they have 5 children (not 3, Hannah!! Listen in to hear my huge mess up!), and they have now written a cookbook together; Love Food Family! Is there anything these 2 can’t do?! We talk all about the new book, how they met each other and...

I’M BACKKKK!!!!! And it feels so good! Thank you for sticking around this long! How are we onto Season 7 already?! I thought I’d treat you all and kick the season off in style, with the sultry tones of Grace Dent, the restaurant critic, broadcaster and author! I have officially given her the title of National Treasure; a name she is beyond excited to receive. She discusses her show with Ainsley Harriott, Best of Britain by the Sea. They had the best time travelling around the country finding...

We’ve come to the fourth and final instalment of the CSF X Taste Special Series! It’s been so wonderful sitting down with some of the amazing chefs that make Taste what it is! This week, I leave you with a real BANGER! I’m joined by the man himself, DJ BBQ. Regarded as somewhat of a celebrity in the BBQ scene, this has to be one of the best and most hilarious conversations I’ve had! What a guy he is! He has a new book out, Fire Feasts which showcases everything from BBQ recipes to his...

This week I am joined by Edson Diaz-Fuentes and his wife Natalie Feary, the duo behind Santo Remedio. The Mexican restaurants, found in London Bridge and Shoreditch, are bringing the real flavours of Mexico to London. This was a conversation about one of – if not my number one – favourite cuisines! Edson remembers queuing up for tamales in Kindergarten; depicting beautiful memories of his childhood in Mexico City. We discuss how far Mexican food has come over the last 10-15 years in London....

Genevieve Taylor is a trooper! She had an injured leg but still went ahead with this recording, opting to lie horizontally throughout the entire episode! I love her! We debate our love for marmite, her idyllic childhood in Cornwall and beyond, and we bond over being inherently greedy women! She gives us some great tips and tricks for BBQing this summer (although we do talk about the fact BBQs aren’t just for summer, but all year round!) Genevieve discusses her bestselling book – Charred, and...

I am so excited to be partnering with Taste of London Festival as their official podcast this year! For the month run up to this year’s festival (15-19th June!) I will be sitting down with some of the famous faces of Taste. This week I am joined by Taste legend, Vivek Singh, who kindly hosted me at The Cinnamon Club in London. He talks all about his childhood growing up in West Bengal, India, his mother cooking 4 meals a day and he dissects the complexity of Indian cuisine, how it differs...

I can’t believe we’ve come to the end of Season 6! Thank you again for joining me on this incredible journey, continuously supporting and listening to me. Don’t worry – I’ll be back sooner than you think for another bigger and better season! To finish things off, I’m joined by Judy Joo, the Korean chef behind shows such as Iron Chef and restaurants JinJuu and Seoul Bird. She opens up about her childhood in New Jersey, growing up in a Korean household with her mum fermenting kimchi in the...

What a character Rosemary Shrager is! Be prepared to laugh your way through this episode with her infectious laugh and wonderful sense of humour! She talks all about her new book – her first novel aptly named The Last Supper and the story behind the story.  We bond over being introverted extroverts (if you can believe that!) and I ask her whether she’s suffered from any prejudice as a self-taught female chef. She opens up about her long-standing friendship with Pierre Koffmann and working...

What a charming chap musician Jack Savoretti is! It had been a long time coming but we finally sat down to talk all about his Italian heritage, childhood family dinners and some of his naughty food vices! He’s currently on tour so we talk all about finally being out there performing live, his new album, Europiana and he opens up about the music industry; the difficulties he overcame, the time he was asked to change his name as it wasn’t “British” enough (!) and he discusses stepping away from...