MY HAVEN – GREGG WALLACE

The MasterChef host, 51, in his office at his home near Whitstable in Kent

1 MY SOUL MATE I’ve lived in this house for almost ten years. I bought it when I got custody of my children Tom and Libby from my second marriage as I wanted to live close to my mum. They loved having their grandmother round the corner. Then 18 months ago my wife Anna moved in – that’s us in the photo. It took me some time to find my soul mate and we met on Twitter. She’s Italian and a fabulous cook – as passionate about food as I am. We’ve been together three and a half years and I’m happier than ever. 2 LITERARY GENIUS I’m a massive fan of AA Milne – always have been. My mum used to read the stories to me when I was young and when Anna moved in I started reading them to her in the evenings, even though at first she was reluctant. The House At Pooh Corner may well be the best work in English literature. The final chapter when Christopher Robin gets the toys together and they realise he’s saying goodbye is the saddest thing. Anna bought these figures of Pooh and Piglet for me to keep in here. 3 SWEET CAESAR History’s always been a passion of mine and these marzipan figures are of Augustus Caesar and Henry II, two of my heroes. Augustus Caesar brought stability to Rome after Julius Caesar was assassinated, and Henry II had an empire that stretched from the borders of Scotland all the way to the Pyrenees. For my 50th birthday two years ago Anna made a huge cake for me with these figures on top. When I walked in and saw it on the kitchen table, my mum said I looked five years old again! 4 MASTER PLAN John Torode and I have been presenting MasterChef for 12 years now. One day my agent said to me, ‘Go and see a company called Shine who are making a food programme.’ They put a camera on me, gave me a cup of tea and told me to talk about food. I spoke for 45 minutes without a break and got the job. John and I – seen here as the Blues Brothers for a magazine shoot – were chosen independently but I’d known him for ten years. I was his greengrocer. He’s a pal and a great guy. 5 TOP KIDS This a great picture of my children when they were eight and six. Tom, now 22, has just finished a degree in economics and Libby’s in her second year studying contemporary theatre. I’m happy they’ve turned out so well. As a single parent you have a decision – do I make money or do I stay at home? I decided it was better for them if I went out and made money – and my mum was around anyway. You never know if you’ve got it right – you’ve just got to do what you think’s best. 6 VEGGING OUT I have so many cookery books, but this one represents my love of Anna and my love of Italian food. It’s by Francesco Mazzei, the chef of the only restaurant on Savile Row in Mayfair, Sartoria, one of my favourites. It’s all about the food of the south of Italy which I love so much. I started out as a greengrocer and my love of food grew because I was supplying fruit and veg to top restaurants. Nobody loves vegetables more than me, the Hindus and the southern Italians.