On The Cover Ready, Steady Rylan!
He’s delighted to be back in the TV kitchen… just don’t offer him fish
He’s one of the nicest and busiest people on television but Rylan Clark-Neal reveals he has vowed never to take anything for granted or forget his roots.
As the presenter of BBC1’s iconic Ready Steady Cook, Strictly: It Takes Two and his own Radio 2 show every Saturday, Rylan admits it’s strange to think how far he’s come since his early days per forming as the novelty act on The XFactor nine years ago.
“If I’m being completely honest I try not to think about how quickly it has happened,” confides Rylan. “A lot of that is luck, but I do work hard.
“I never grew up in this world. I never had the things I have now and I’m in a very lucky position where I can say ‘no’ now to projects. I only do things I’m interested in – like Ready Steady Cook.
I’m not a chef but I can ask the questions you’re thinking about at home.”
Being kind to others, Rylan goes on to explain, will always be his mantra in life.
“At work, I won’t stand for people being spoken to like rubbish in front of me,” he says with feeling. “I’ve said, ‘Don’t talk to people like that’. I won’t stand for it.”
A svelte star who always tries to look his best, it’s surprising to learn Rylan (32) doesn’t stick to a strict diet. And don’t even mention the word fish, he jokes!
“Oh gosh – I don’t ever dance around fish,” he adds, smiling. “I can’t stand fish! No, I am a terrible eater. But I aam lanky and I’m always on n the go!”
We are chatting over Zoom in between filming for the new series of Ready Steady Cook, which has just returned to BBC1.
Chatty, funny and selfdeprecating, he says he feels both relieved to be working and grateful that they’ve managed to get the TV series back on air.
“It’s gone really well and we’re working long days but with everything going on at the moment, I’m so glad it’s back!” says the presenter. “It’s been great filming and what shocks me the most is how they can make a lovely main and dessert in 10 minutes. It’s crazy!” A former runner-up himself on MasterChef in 2015, has it inspired him to cook more at home? “It’s taught me a few chef things on how to cut my prep time down,” he replies. “I do like cooking at home anyway and to be able to pick up stuff on the set is lovely.” Having clocked up hours and hours of work before the pandemic with barely a day off, Rylan admits it’s been nice to spend more quality time at home in Essex with his husband, Dan, during the lockdowns. They tied the knot in 2015.
“I’m so fortunate to be able to do my job in some capacity, but it’s been nice to spend time with Dan at home too,” he says, smiling happily. “Lockdown has
“NO DIETS, I AM A TERRIBLE EATER! BUT I AM LANKY AND I’M ALWAYS ON THE GO”
made me feel thankful that I do have my own place and a property with a garden.”
Not surprisingly, Rylan is feeling very happy with his lot and he has no plans to change his status quo any time soon. But asked if he would ever go on Strictly ComeDancing as a contestant and he hints he could be persuaded to take part in a Christmas special!
“There’s always chatter of a Christmas Special and if it were me, Zoe, Tess and Claudia and we did the Christmas Special, then that would be a level playing field.
“I’m full of admiration for how they got Strictly on air last year. I’ve been there for two and a half years now but I feel like I’ve been there for 20, because it’s so family orientated.”
Like many TV shows in Britain, changes have had to be made to ReadySteady Cook to make it more Covid secure. Sadly, it means the audience can’t come and watch/vote any more and instead, the three other chefs not competing in the episode sit on a chef’s table and make the casting vote. Rylan also can’t taste the dishes any more.
“That’s been an absolute torture!” he says, laughing. “But the chef’s table has actually been a lovely addition and there’s been lots of banter. What blows my mind is how fast they can make dough out of flour and yogurt in literally 30 seconds!
“One of my favourite budget recipes has to be steamed bao buns made from scratch in 20 minutes! It was a five-pound budget and this would normally take an hour to an hour and a half! They filled it with chicken and Harissa. It was so amazing!”
ReadySteadyCook runs weekdays on BBC One at 3.45pm, and is available on iPlayer.