Cookery favourite Ready Steady Cook set to return to TV with show’s former chef James Martin as host

IT’S been the year of the revival with Blind Date back on our screens and plans in place for the return of the Generation Game and The Price is Right.

And telly fans could soon get a second taste of another TV favourite — Ready Steady Cook.

The show’s former chef JAMES MARTIN says plans are afoot for the cooking programme, which was last screened in 2010, to return and he wants to host it.

In an exclusive interview, James said: “It’s only a matter of time, it might be coming back.

"I think Ready Steady Cook is iconic. I think I’d give it a go. It’s a great format.

“I’d be a lot slower now than when I was doing it, cause I’m a lot older.

"People remember that show ­however old they were. It was the most successful cooking show of its generation.

“You learnt something from it as well. I was talking to (chef) RAYMOND BLANC about this, the night before last.

“We were sat there talking for a couple of hours about food and television and where stuff is going. He’s like me, the chef element of it . . . you want to teach people.

“You don’t really get that teaching part in entertainment shows.”

The cookery show as a mix of entertainment and education is clearly something about which James is enthusiastic.

And he doesn’t think much of the current offering for foodies on TV.

That includes the new Great British Bake Off and MasterChef.

James on Ready Steady Cook with presenters Fern Britton and Alice Beer, said: “They’re not cooking shows. They’re entertainment shows.

“You don’t learn anything from it, or you learn very little from it.

“That’s why they have a budget of millions.

“We don’t. Cooking shows are very different, they’re in a different bracket.

“Entertainment shows have a huge budget with great production values. They’re just very different.” James is back on telly as of tomorrow with his ­latest programme Saturday Morning with James Martin on ITV.

It will go up against his old show Saturday Kitchen on the BBC.

But he hasn’t kept track of what has been cooking in the Saturday Kitchen since he left last year after ten years as host.

He said: “I haven’t watched it to be honest with you.

“I hadn’t been on holiday for 14 years, so the first two weeks after I left I went on holiday. I’m doing something else now in my life.

“I haven’t watched it so I don’t know what it’s like.”

Let the Saturday morning cook-off commence.

Read on for more of Dan Wootton's Bizarre TV column

James inbetween planets

JAMES BUCKLEY is best known for his efforts as sex-mad Jay in The ­Inbetweeners.

But here he is fulfilling a life goal as a guest star in the new series of Red Dwarf, which returns on Dave next month.

James a huge fan of the cult show, nearly lost control once he finally got on set.

He said: “It was a dream come true when someone said to me, ‘Would I like to be in Red Dwarf?’

The way it was pitched to me was ‘You’ll be an alien or something, no one’ll recognise you, it’ll be really cool’.

“So yeah, I liked the idea of that. And then the day I did a make-up test and they put the Kryten android stuff on me . . .

“I nearly s**t myself, it’s so iconic.”

That sounds more like something that would have happened to Jay.

It's the return of the X

THE X Factor is going through drastic changes to rescue the struggling series.

Live shows have been cut from ten to six, and star guests will perform on both weekend days to keep ratings steady.

Judge SHARON OSBOURNE said: “Something’s got to change, you can’t do the same thing for 14 years – it’s not a game show. So it’s got to evolve and you’ve got to move on with the times.

“The show does well, that’s why it comes back. If the show didn’t do well, it wouldn’t come back.

"I want to do my best. You don’t want to be on a show that’s failing do you?”

The talent contest is back tomorrow with Sharon, SIMON COWELL, LOUIS WALSH and NICOLE SCHERZINGER all returning as judges.

I told last week how Sharon was planning to retire in five years, but even she can’t think of someone to fill her shoes.

She added: “Oh my Lord, I haven’t met that person yet. Listen, it’s not for me to say is it? I’m not the producer of the show, it’s up to Simon it’s not up to me.”

Sharon loves rival BBC show Strictly, so maybe she can break out the sequins and hit the dance floor when she quits.

Show's guessed stars

STARS In Their Eyes was all about punters acting as showbiz legends but new ITV show Guess The Star will flip the fomat.

Disguised stars will mime to hits, while three teams of celebs – including EAMONN HOLMES and STACEY SOLOMON – try to work out who the famous face is behind the make-up, music and wigs.

A source said: “Each well-known personality will undergo a complete makeover to trick the competitors.

“They’ll be given some clues but it’s a competition so they will try to be first to work out who it is.”

As it stands the show, which doesn’t have a host, is being made as a one-off.
Watch this space.