Anneka Rice

Aged 48

Food Heaven: Barbecued mackerel with salad and new potatoes, and bread and butter pudding with custard

Food Hell: Peeling potatoes

TV presenter Anneka Rice rose to fame as the jump suit clad presenter of Treasure Hunt and even more famously Challenge Anneka, and she cites her decision to take part in Hell’s Kitchen as the result of a family coup.

“When I mentioned Hell’s Kitchen and the training with Marco Pierre White to my kids they said ‘you’ve got to do it mum’. I’ve always had a real problem with it in my mind [cooking] because I have never really enjoyed it and just see it as something that has to be done. The kids reckon that Marco Pierre White might unleash some sort of passion in me for being in a kitchen. At the moment I just never cook if I can possibly help it – I would rather do the ironing, clean out a cupboard and sweep leaves up,” says Anneka. Read more & comment »