Rookie cook the sauce of much fun

The SecreT chef, ITV, TUeSDAY

I can hardly believe my ears when I hear Steve isn’t just a hapless chef. He, in fact, has never cooked anything in his life aside from a frozen chicken kiev!

In 27 years of marriage, this guy has never even peeled a potato – yet he’s taken on the challenge of learning to cook a three-course fine dining meal in just five weeks.

There’s reasoning in his madness ... Steve and his wife missed celebrating their 27th wedding anniversary after Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It was a tough time for the family but now that they’ve got through it, he wants to prepare a nice surprise for her by training under the watchful eye of a top chef.

It looks like a recipe for disaster as Steve begins learning to cook fancy foods – and burns them to a crisp.

Even on the day of the challenge, with his wife, family and friends seated in the restaurant next door, Steve can’t take the heat of the professional kitchen.

He mistakes salt for sugar, then wonders why his caramel sauce is going to pot.

In the end, he somehow pulls it out of the bag. And, of course, when Linda finds out who has cooked for her, she’s blown away.

I was in tears – and Steve looked on the verge of it too... but only because he’d burnt his finger!

The SecreT LIfe of The Zoo, chAnneL 4, TUeSDAY

If you love animals, this is definitely one for you.

Cute baby penguins, silver haired gibbons and pregnant giraffes ...

It’s not only a captivating insight into the behind-thescenes work of zookeepers, but an education about the remarkable lives of the creatures in the cages too.

A good heartwarming watch.