Heat in the kitchen

BBC1, 8.30pm ANOTHER chance to watch Gregg Wallace and John Torode eating delicious food, while we sit at home disappointed with last night’s leftovers.

Their enthusiasm never wanes, despite being 12 series in, and them being just one mouthful away from salmonella or E.coli.

This week’s heat has already seen troubling times for Olympic gold medallist Becky Adlington, pop star Rachel Stevens, Outnumbered actor Tyger Drew-Honey, radio presenter Debbie McGee and Radio 1 DJ Dev Griffin.

And despite a gallant effort, Tyger was forced to hang up his apron, leaving four to battle for a semi-final place.

Easing them in is a knowledge and skills test – identify three different eggs and three different mushrooms before making breakfast (hash browns, bacon and poached eggs) in just 12 minutes. “Velociraptor egg?” Dev wonders, articulating what we’re all thinking (one of the eggs is enormous).

Debbie stares at a mushroom for a while, before plumping for: “Big fun-ghi”.

Points for humour, none for cooking – her hash brown looks like someone has trodden in it.

Later, the contestants are split into two teams and sent to their first mass catering challenge, making lunch for 80 employees at Mercedes-Benz World at the Brooklands motor racing circuit in Surrey. Debbie and Rachel spend more than 20 minutes deciding what to make, before Debbie suggests salmon with tomato paste and breadcrumbs.

“OK,” winces Rachel, while thinking it sounds revolting.

Then it’s back to HQ to cook a two-course meal for Kimberly Wyatt, Rylan Clark-Neal and Rev Richard Coles.

Rylan is bowled over by a “back of the spoon swirl” on a puree, but someone’s Belgian brownie cake with chocolate ganache nearly sends Gregg over the edge.