If anyone knows how to host a Christmas party, it’s culinary queen Mary Berry. Except, in this one-off special, it’ll be four eager celebrities who’ll be doing the cooking for Mary’s bash.
The pressure is on as former Great British Bake Off judge Mary teaches BBC news reader Huw Edwards, athlete Dina Asher-Smith, Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson and comedian Joe Lycett how to fine-tune their festive cookery skills.
With Huw admitting that he ‘never cooks’ and sprinter Dina proving to be less than speedy in the kitchen, Mary certainly seems to have her work cut out.
Can our four famous faces put together a delicious festive feast to remember?
Please note this programme does not air in Scotland.
TV Times rating: ***
Mary, 83, tells us more…
What are your secret ingredients for the perfect Christmas party? The perfect Christmas is all about planning. It’s thinking about how everything will run on the day, putting some things in a freezer, doing some of the heavy shopping in advance like getting the tinned goods in and maybe ordering things ahead. I like to make a plan and think about what am I going to give everybody over the Christmas period; which recipes of mine do they like most?
What were the cooking strengths of each of your celebrity guests? I enjoyed cooking with all of them. Huw, Dina, Eleanor and Joe were great sports to take part because they had no idea what we were going to be up to. But they were wonderful and keen to do well – it was lovely.
Do you do all the Christmas cooking in your house? I am hosting this year. I went to my daughter, Annabel’s, last year. She cooks most of the food but I always cook the turkey. It’s an hour away, so I cook it in my own oven but then it’s done a couple of hours early, so I wrap it in foil, cover it in a sleeping bag then stick it in the boot of the car. This year, however, I’m going to cook here and everyone will bring something. My daughter-in-law’s mother brings the Christmas pudding, others bring canapés, and we all do our bit.
