CV: Simon Rimmer

The host of Tricks Of The Restaurant Trade (8.30pm, Ch4) has presented food programmes on TV for nearly 20 years. Here’s how his career has panned out to date…

Arty type: Born in Wallasey, Merseyside in 1963, the self-taught cook was originally into art. He has a degree in fashion and textile design, and worked freelance as a designer for several years before he decided on a new business venture…

Going greens: In 1990, the meat-eater opened Greens, a veggie restaurant in Manchester. A great success, it led to

Simon’s first cookbook, The Accidental Vegetarian, in 2004. He now has five solo cookbooks under his apron.

Screen career: His TV career began in the late 1990s with a slot on digital channel Granada Breeze, followed by stints on the likes of This Morning. In 2006, he took part

in Great British Menu, representing the north (naturally) – he lost his heat to Marcus Wareing. He started presenting Something For The Weekend with Tim Lovejoy in 2006, and their laddish charm was a big hit with audiences. They currently present Sunday Brunch on Ch4. Tough break: The Liverpool supporter was set to play in a 2009 charity football match at Anfield with his hero, Kenny Dalglish, but had to bail out after snapping his Achilles tendon. Moving tribute: Simon, aged 25, was at Hillsborough on that fateful day in 1989, when 96 people lost their lives. When he took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, he performed a poignant waltz to Liverpool’s theme, You’ll Never Walk Alone. But his footwork wasn’t so fancy, and he was the fifth to be eliminated.