ON THE COVER Getting To Know… Gregg Wallace

The 54-year-old presenter explains he’s getting better at fatherhood and shares the secret of his TV success

● EatWellforLess [Gregg’s BBC1 food show] is popular because it’s interesting to see what other families eat and how they live. It’s an honest show that gives people lots of tips on how to save money on their shopping. It’s light-hearted, even though the message is serious. ● The secret of my success is that I turn up on time and I do as I’m told. You’d be surprised how unusual this is for TV presenters! Also, I’m genuinely interested in people and like hanging out with them. ● Eating all that food on MasterChef has its ups and downs. Obviously, when the food is good, it’s a joy. It’s difficult when we do an afternoon tea challenge, though, as everybody makes cakes – eating possibly 15 cakes in a day is not the healthiest thing to do. ● I’m very proud of my involvement with MasterChef. It’s had an incredibly long run and I can honestly say that all of it has been an absolute pleasure. John [Torode] and I are incredibly close. We give each other a lot of space, but there is a great deal of respect and affection between us. We are very different, but we understand each other perfectly. ● Looking back, my career has been an incredible adventure. I don’t think a teenage Gregg would quite believe he was going to be on the telly.

EATWELLFORLESS WILL BE SCREENED ON JULY 12 ON BBC1 AT 8PM