Season 12

2009–2010

May 25, 2009 · 24m

Five nights in London begin with landscape gardener Greg, who describes himself as "mediocrity personified". His Spanish-inspired menu produces grumbles when there's a wait between courses, and there's also friction between the guests.

E2. London, Hugo Preece

May 26, 2009 · 22m

The five contestants not only sum up their competition, but all have strong opinions on who they like and don't like. Hugo Preece is second on the list to host the dinner party. He is feeling a bit worse for wear after the long previous evening, but he soldiers on. His menu consists of foie gras and poached pear as the starter, Alaskan salmon and mint peas the main course, and a banana flambé with red wine and lavender sorbet for dessert. Besides the controversial topic of the foie gras and the fact that one of the diners has never eaten Britain's national dish of fish and chips, most of the conversation occurs post meal, when the diner's talk about their continuing like and more dislikes of the fellow diners. But they do have strong opinions about the quality of Hugo's meal, and score accordingly.

E3. London, Sabrina Ghayour

May 27, 2009 · 22m

Sabrina Ghayour is third on the list to host the dinner party. She is quietly confident and wants now more to win if only to beat those she doesn't like. Her Persian inspired menu, true to her own ethnic heritage, consists of Arabian mezze platter as the starter, spiced rack of lamb with pomegranate sauce as the main course, and rose water & cardamom poached pears with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. Beyond discussion of the food, the diners become increasingly open about their fellow diners. Some admit to changes in the perception of the others, but one feels like the outsider which the others confirm.

E4. London, Amii van Amerongen

May 28, 2009 · 23m

"One more night to soldier through, and then the whole ordeal is over." Greg isn't in a positive mood during Amii's turn as host. And while Amii has become closer to Sabrina, Sabrina is forced to mark her down when she's served raw lamb.

E5. London: Thoby Young

May 29, 2009 · 22m

Thoby Young is the last of this fivesome to host. The other four have listened to Thoby talk and talk and talk about his knowledge of food during the week, and so he will have to put his meal where his mouth was (as they do not want another dissertation at dinner) to impress. Ethical foodie Thoby hopes that knowing where his food comes from will help make the meal better. His menu consists of buckwheat blinis with smoked salmon and *farmed* (ethical) caviar as the starter, osso bucco with risotto bianco as the main course, and Mr. Tarty's blackberry and apple tart for dessert. He also has an after dinner surprise listed on the menu. The ethical issues of food are again brought to the forefront during the meal. Believing Mr. Tarty will win the day, Thoby soon finds out if that is indeed the case as he announces the winner of the £1,000.

E6. Dundee, Tara Tasker

Jun 1, 2009 · 22m

Tara Tasker is the first to host the dinner party. Her menu consists of cream of Arbroath smokie soup as a starter, drunken duck with bramble wine and plum bree as the main course, and Tara's tantalizing trio for dessert. Her game plan is to be as attentive to her guests' needs as possible. True to her self-professed underdog status, she is stressed throughout the cooking process, especially of her main course, which she admits to being terrible in her test earlier in the week. Is the final product any better in her guests' opinions? Beyond the food, the four Scots have a laugh over the one Englishman.

E7. Dundee, Francis Glancy

Jun 2, 2009 · 22m

Francis Glancy is second on the list to host the dinner party. He's worried about having a panic attack if something goes not according to plan. He is fussy about his food and its presentation, which reflects the artist in him. He uses his artistic talents both as décor and as an offering to his guests, the latter which he hopes doesn't offend. His menu consists of summer bruschetta as a starter, iskenderoni as the main course, and vanilla and ginger cheesecake with balsamic strawberries for dessert. Something during the evening does not go according to Francis' plan, but will that affect either his demeanor or his guests' appreciation of the evening?

E8. Dundee, Laura Cunningham

Jun 3, 2009 · 23m

The third night in Dundee sees Laura having to cook in front of the full view of her guests. However, most of the attention for the night is directed towards the ever-growing bromance between Adam and Jimmy.

E9. Dundee, Jimmy Fox

Jun 4, 2009 · 22m

Jimmy uses his creativity and imagination for his menu, including a main course in the shape of bagpipes. Yet while Jimmy's warm company is much appreciated by his guests, his cooking is less savoured.

E10. Dundee, Adam Smith

Jun 5, 2009 · 23m

The week ends not actually in Dundee, but 14 miles down the road to Adam's house in St. Andrew's. With Adam tired after the week, he accidentally cuts his finger while cooking, yet the atmosphere is warm, particularly from Jimmy.

E11. Portsmouth, Kate Hibbert

Jun 8, 2009 · 23m

Kate Hibbert is the first to host the dinner party. Her menu consists of goat's cheese and Parma ham on a pear walnut salad as a starter, Posh Pompey fish pie as the main course, and cinnamon spiced oranges with blueberries and pomegranate for dessert. She hopes that fresh produce from the garden of her father, a television gardener, and specially chosen wine to each course will add extra marks. At dinner, one of the guests seems to be the odd person out amongst this fivesome. After dinner, the guests remark on Kate's demeanor as a hostess, which does not match her own assessment while she was working away earlier in the kitchen. At the end, Kate confesses to the camera her thoughts about winning or losing.

E12. Portsmouth, Lee Stafford

Jun 9, 2009 · 23m

Lee Stafford is second on the list to host the dinner party. Being a flight attendant, Lee believes being used to being attentive will serve him well for the dinner party. His guests presuppose that his house and menu will be immaculate and exotic. They are expected to be immaculate to Lee's red and black dress code to match the décor. His menu consists of cheesy stuffed mushrooms as a starter, Spatchcock-style chicken breast with pancetta and sausage stuffing as the main course, and raspberry soufflé with dark chocolate sauce for dessert. He takes a chance at preparing the dessert in front of his guests. He hopes his gifts to each will impress. And last night's outsider makes an attempt to explain to the others to mixed results.

E13. Portsmouth, Maria Wilkinson

Jun 10, 2009 · 23m

Maria Wilkinson is third on the list to host the dinner party. Being a restaurateur, Maria believes she has an upper hand, despite not being a professional chef. On the flip side, some of her guests hope she will be fair and not have her restaurant chefs prepare the meal. But Maria does use the services of her business partner who will act as server. Maria's menu consists of double baked smoked applewood soufflé as a starter, crab and mint mousse stuffed chicken breast as the main course, and white chocolate pannacotta for dessert. Instead of a palette cleanser between courses, Maria decides on a bit of activity for her guests, which doesn't go exactly according to plan. By the end of the evening, the guests have as much to say about Maria as they do about her business partner.

E14. Portsmouth, Sheena Ives

Jun 11, 2009 · 23m

Sheena Ives is the hostess for the evening. Her mixed Scottish/Mexican menu consists of a trio of Scottish salmon as a starter, chicken fajitas, guacamole and jalapeño cheese sauce as the main course, and Scottish cranachan for dessert. Although Sheena's menu is now a known to her guests, something that isn't is her occupation, which she has not yet mentioned to the others but to which she leaves clues around her house for them to guess. Will the guessing game leave her guests inspired or bored?

E15. Portsmouth, Lynne Derry

Jun 12, 2009 · 23m

Therapist Lynne is the final host in Portsmouth, and offers her guests a massage as well as food in an effort to win the £1000 prize. But Lynne's decision to use her husband to help with the cooking has a negative effect on the scoring.

E16. Torbay, Gavin Dyer

Jun 15, 2009 · 22m

Gavin Dyer is the first to host the dinner party. His menu consists of fig, goat's cheese and caramelized onion tartlet as the starter, stuffed pork and mustard mash as the main course, and chocolate fondant for dessert. A person who is used to making prepared meals but is starting from scratch to impress, Gavin is treating the meal preparation like a science experiment. The five seem to get along during the evening until the person that is deemed "the posh one" starts making what are considered rude comments, which places a slight damper at the end of the evening.

E17. Torbay, Alison Deer

Jun 16, 2009 · 22m

Alison Deer is second on the list to host the dinner party. Her Italian inspired menu consists of roasted red pepper soup with homemade bread as the starter, lasagne as the main course, and tiramisu for dessert. She spends as much time preparing the meal as she does cleaning the kitchen. Part of the meal doesn't sit well with Gavin, the cheese hater. The dinner conversation continues much of the same tone from the previous evening, which in turn strengthens Carol's open dislike of Patrick. Another has an equally strong dislike of Patrick and Carol, these feelings which are kept to that person. —Huggo

E18. Torbay, David Ward

Jun 17, 2009 · 22m

David Ward is third on the list to host the dinner party. He wants his hosting skills to reflect an air of elegance. Elegance is also in order for his shopping trip, and in order for himself in preparation for his own presentation for the evening. His menu consists of king prawn and queenie scallop salad as the starter, brie stuffed supreme of chicken as the main course, and raspberry crunch for dessert. Gavin has a few embarrassing moments prior to dinner. Carol is surprised that David does know how to cook. Unlike previous evenings with this group, the dinner conversation steers clear of the sexual innuendo - on the most part.

E19. Torbay, Patrick Walker

Jun 18, 2009 · 22m

Patrick Walker is the host for the evening. His "old fashioned hotel food" menu consists of scallops with black pudding as a starter, sole Florentine (pheasant Florentine for fish hater Gavin) as the main course, a jalapeño, lime and mint ice as a palette cleanser (which ultimately does more than cleanse the palette for one guest), and crème brûlée for dessert. He is as impressed by his menu as he is with his kitchen utensils, the "biggest in the village" which impresses the ladies of the village in his estimation. He is not impressed however by any of his guests. His guests ultimately have issue with a last minute changes to his menu. More fireworks occur at dinner between Patrick and Carol, this time by a comment by Carol about Patrick's dogs. By the end, the evening totally deteriorates.

E20. Torbay, Carol Sylvester

Jun 19, 2009 · 22m

Carol Sylvester is the last of this fivesome to host. Her menu consists of Channel crab cakes as a starter, lamb stifado as the main course, and raspberry Pavlova and chocolate fondue for dessert. Carol has a kitchen equipment failure which could affect her ability to cook the meal. She hopes that her home brewed beer will lull her guests into a sense of relaxation. She will soon find out if these issues affect her scores as she announces the winner of the £1,000.

E21. Celebrity Special, Jonathan Ansell

Jul 6, 2009 · 23m

Jonathan Ansell, former member of G4, hosts the first of four nights with celebrities competing for charity. Originally the very first prime time instalment of the series, this edition was shown as part of an "All In One" in April 2008.

E22. Celebrity Special, Lynsey de Paul

Jul 7, 2009 · 23m

Seventies songstress and vegetarian Lynsey de Paul is convinced that a meat-free menu will win over her guests. But meat-loving MC Harvey is baffled by his first ever encounter with asparagus.

E23. Celebrity Special, Tamara Beckwith

Jul 8, 2009 · 24m

Socialite Tamara Beckwith is so cool and calm about entertaining that she has enough time to get her hair done, but when she finally gets round to doing some cooking, her pudding sinks

E24. Celebrity Special, MC Harvey

Jul 9, 2009 · 23m

It's the final night, when the winning celebrity will be decided. Rapper-turned-actor MC Harvey is going back to his Caribbean roots for his meal, which means plenty of seasoning.

E25. Aberdeen, Amanda Westlake

Jul 13, 2009 · 23m

This show's culinary competition comes from Aberdeen, and first to host is 37-year old Amanda Westlake.

E26. Aberdeen, Rick Breckenridge

Jul 14, 2009 · 24m

It's day two in Aberdeen, and the turn of Rick Breckenridge, manager of Aberdeen's premiere gay nightclub. He's determined to wow his guests with his exotic menu.

E27. Aberdeen, Laura Rojales

Jul 15, 2009 · 23m

Care worker Laura Rojales plays host and she's desperate to win so she can go visit her two kids back in the Philippines. In the meantime she brings a taste of her homeland to Scotland.

E28. Aberdeen, Bob Calder

Jul 16, 2009 · 24m

It's the final day of the competition and time for publican Bob Calder to show his worth. Bob's been happy to criticise everyone else's food this week, confident that his meal is the winner