Cooking with mama

Celebs and their moms team up for an epic kitchen experience.

Comedian Siv Ngesi is proving to be a master in the kitchen. Season 1 Fridays SABC3 (*193) 21:00

Cheeky and outspoken, comedian Siv Ngesi changes into an angel when he’s in the company of his mom “My Queen” Jacqueline. That was the idea when 30-year-old Siv and TV personality Ashley Taylor came up with Jou Ma Se Chef (2016- current) – and it’s not just about cooking: the show reveals another side to the celebs that we know and love when they’re in the kitchen with their moms.

What’s behind the name? Say it fast. It’s a bit of a play on MasterChef (2005- current). Except there are moms involved. How is Jou Ma Se Chef different from other cooking shows? It’s not just about celebs and their mothers competing against each other every episode. But we get to see how they are around their moms and capture that vibe and truthfulness that we never get to see. So how are you in the kitchen? I work too hard to cook. Don’t get me wrong: I can cook. I almost became a chef after doing home economics in school for five whole years. And what’s your favourite childhood dish? Samp, beans and tripe. Sheep’s head is also a favourite, but that would all take too long to make on the show. Tell us about the kind of guests that you’re after. Not every mother wants to be on TV, so that’s sometimes tricky to work around. We don’t discriminate when it comes to celebrities [Laughs]. Who would you ideally like to have in your kitchen on the show? British actor Idris Elba. I worked with him [Siv played one of Nelson Mandela’s aides] in 2013