Mastercheat!
Model Vogue’s new husband signs up Michelin-starred chef to help him win MasterChef, telling friends: ‘I know it’s a bit naughty...’
THE recipe is simple but appealing – well-known stars struggle to conquer challenging cooking techniques in a bid to be crowned Celebrity MasterChef.
And few things make more entertaining viewing than a hapless celebrity who doesn’t know his braising from his blanching.
But now the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal that Spencer Matthews, the newly-wed husband of Irish model and TV presenter Vogue Williams has been going against what many believe to be the spirit of the show – by having secret lessons with multi-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli.
The pair were introduced by his father David, a millionaire businessman who owns the €5,500-anight Eden Rock hotel on St Barts in the Caribbean.
Sources on the set of the BBC1 show, which started last week, say the 29-year-old former Made In Chelsea star, who is also Pippa Middleton’s brother-in-law, told the other 19 contestants he had sought expert assistance because he was ultra-competitive and wanted to stay in the competition for as long as possible.
‘Spencer was making no secret that he wanted to do well – so much so that he used his connections to get ahead,’ a souce added. ‘He was boasting to the others that he’d got some expert help. He knew that it was a bit naughty.
‘David Matthews and Jean-Christophe met a while ago and Spencer first visited the chef at a food festival. He was determined to stay in the show for as long as possible.’
Novelli, who was chef to the Rothschild family before setting up a series of successful restaurants, runs his own academy and appeared on cookery show Hell’s Kitchen in 2005. Sources claim that two other contestants appearing in this week’s lineup alongside Mr Matthews have also sought professional advice. Former EastEnders actor John Partridge, 47, enlisted the help of chef and food stylist Emma Power, who spent a week teaching him recipes and helping with time limits at his home.
Meanwhile, One Show presenter Jean Johansson received private cooking tutorials, according to sources at the BBC.
A spokesman for MasterChef said: ‘As with any role or job, we would expect the celebrities to do some research before appearing on the show.’
‘He was boasting he’d got some expert help’
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