On your MARKS!
MEET REBECCA’S SPORTING RIVALS…
Ryan Thomas
“I’m a team player so it’s difficult to say I’m competitive,” reckons the former Corrie
star. “But I don’t want to come last!”
Christine McGuinness
“I’m taking part for my children,” reveals model and autism ambassador Christine. “They inspire me to push myself.”
Colson Smith
“There are no limitations to what I can do,” shares Corrie’s Colson (Craig). “This seemed the ideal next step in my fitness journey.”
Phoenix Gulzar-Brown
“I’m not super-fit, but I’m really excited!” grins Mel B’s daughter, a former basketball player. “We’re all waiting for game day…”
Kevin Clifton
“It’s been a mad experience, I’m loving it,” reveals the ex-Strictly pro. “I’m considering getting a Strictly tan for the swimming!”
Lucrezia Millarini
“I couldn’t turn this down,” insists the ITV news anchor. “There might be some crashes, but it makes for good telly, right?!”
Wes Nelson
“I have two cousins who are Olympians and my brother’s a footballer,’ shares Love Island star Wes. “Their only advice has
been, ‘Run fast and don’t get injured!’”
Olivia Attwood
“It’s been a lot physically, and mentally – I’ve been getting emotional,” admits reality star Olivia. “But it’s amazing!”
Josh Herdman
“I feel lucky being taught by the some of the best coaches,” cheers the Harry Potter actor and cage fighter. “I always want to learn new stuff – this ticks all the boxes.”
Chelcee Grimes
“I’m going to be winning gold!” asserts songwriter and footballer Chelcee. “And if you can’t win, don’t lose…”
Max George
“I really wanted to experience what it’s like to eat and live like an athlete,” offers The Wanted star. “The training is tough, but everyone’s so nice!”
As Queen Elizabeth II marks 70 years on the throne, this new one-hour special sees queen of baking Dame Mary Berry as head judge, overseeing five amateur bakers as they vie for their dessert to be crowned the nation’s Platinum Pudding. And Mary was clearly chuffed with the calibre of competitors…
“I was very impressed!” she cheers. “The final five puddings couldn’t have been more different, and the bakers could explain why they chose them.”
When posh shop Fortnum & Mason set the UK’s home bakers the challenge to create a tart, cake or pudding to honour the Queen’s legacy, it received more than 5,000 entries from a wide age range…
“There were some from children as young as 10!” enthuses Mary. “The entries were whittled down to five
finalists, which is where we stepped in. There wasn’t a time limit, so they weren’t rushed, which was lovely.” Joining Mary on the judging panel are pâtissier Roger Pizey, blogger Jane Dunn, GBBO
series nine winner Rahul Mandal, MasterChef’s
Monica Galetti, influencer Matt Adlard, and historian Regula Ysewijn. “We had wonderful judges: Regula is a food historian from Belgium who specialises in British puddings, and I’m not quite sure what influencers are, although we had Matt!” chuckles Mary. “Plus, it was the first time I’d been with Monica, and we thought alike.” The recipe for the winning Platinum Pudding will be released for us all to recreate at home as part of The Big Jubilee Lunch. And if you
decide to make it, you’ll be sharing the honour with Mary. “I will certainly be making the winning recipe,” she reveals. “I shall be with the family, and we’ll all bring something to eat. And of course the bunting will be up!”