Candice brings A-game to the table

SOUTH Africans first fell in love with Candice Modiselle when she was a

YoTV presenter. She then studied the craft and landed an acting gig on Generations: The Legacy.

Now she is showcasing another side to her in the celebrity edition of the award-winning series, Come Dine

With Me South Africa, on BBC Brit. Let’s get the obvious question out of the way: How does she rate her cooking skills from 1 to 10?

“In general, I rate myself as a four because I know I have the capability to be a 10, but I haven’t explored the culinary arts yet,” Modiselle said.

That didn’t stop her from giving her all when her night came, especially since she was going up against celebrity fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, reality TV star Christall Kay and DJ Lucky du Plessis.

Yet she was thrilled to be part of this particular group. With unmistakable humility, she said: “I’ve never really deemed myself a celebrity. That came as a shock when I got the call. All I know is that what I do puts me on a public platform. To be part of an epic celebrity competition was very humbling, as was being classified one of South Africa’s most celebrated artist. It meant a lot.”

When it came to the task at hand, she was understandably daunted.

She said with a laugh: “I wouldn’t classify myself as the best of cooks or anything in-between. I am really amazing at eating, though. I would love for there to be an edition where you are just invited to eat.”

Fortunately, she wasn’t the first one to host the gang.

She said: “I had the third night. The first evening made me shake in my boots. I got to see what the first and second competitors brought to the table. And I got a sense of how the bar was set. Obviously, I had to bring my A-game.”

Although she didn’t want to appear too eager during her rivals’ dinners, she did have high praise for some. Modiselle said: “The whole experience was such fun. But I didn’t want to enjoy the food too much. The first night, the food looked phenomenal. The second night? That was questionable.”

She continued: “It wasn’t so much about the food as the hospitality and the environment. It had to feel like we were invited into the space of the host.”

Although they travel in similar social circles, the episode gave Modiselle, and her fellow diners, a chance to bond.

“We all share the same space. One of them I met casually. The rest I knew through their work or from what I’d heard of their work. I will say this: I have an extreme appreciation for each of them. There wasn’t any cattiness during the shoot. No one let their egos crash.”

Having admitted to not being much of a cook, she has a profound appreciation for food – especially her mother’s cooking.

She said: “Anything that might be too bland I will shy away from. But if you give me a savoury dish or something that is sweet and sour, I will celebrate the explosion of flavours in my mouth. And I love sweet and creamy desserts.

“My favourite foods are tripe, tasty oxtail, sushi and Thai food. And I love chicken teriyaki and a really good pizza.” ■ Viewers can tune into

on BBC (DStv Channel 120) at 8pm from March 11.