TV blog Feed

Russell Kane: I'd like to travel with Jimmy Carr in his exploring shorts

2016-05-05T16:14:00+00:00

Comedian Russell Kane is known to be a man who likes his home comforts. So when tasked with navigating through some of the world’s most remote locations, with just an internet star and a smart phone for company, would it be the trip of a lifetime or a travelling nightmare?

Filming Stupid Man, Smart Phone is the most exhausted I've ever been. I'm still catching up now from that exhaustion.

I'm in decent nick, but I've never done any survivalism before. I've never camped out in the open stars, I've never skinned an animal, I've never done anything like that. So that type of stuff was horrific.

I've never pooed in a bush. Here's a psychological hurdle that if you haven't crossed it in the first 30 or 40 years of your life, you're going to struggle to cross it, and I had to. I've never been without a toilet in my life and I never want to do it ever again. Unless it goes to a second series, in which case, I'll poo wherever you want!

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/russell_kane/status/676684405407162369

Travelling with different internet celebrities was just mental, man. Everyone reacts to it in different ways. Vine star Arron Crascall got quite teary missing his family. Other people were more bothered by the bugs and the wilderness.

Some people were just bang up for it, like Conor Maynard - he made me look stupid. And Jenny Jones, the snowboarder, was building a raft in 40 degree heat with her bare hands while I stood in a bush with borderline sunstroke.

YouTubers Rose and Rosie were the most useless of my companions. No question. They were just like me, scared of everything, falling over. And Rosie is vegan. I took a vegan to the Arctic Circle… where there's basically just blubber, fat, blood and meat. She was sobbing every time there was a scene with a dead animal.

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/russell_kane/status/665878736949141504

I'd like to take other comics with me next time. Someone like Rob Beckett. Or even, if I could talk him into it, Romesh Ranganathan. Maybe we could do one in Sri Lanka when he's filming the next Asian Provocateur. Or Jimmy Carr... it'd be quite funny to see him out of his comfort zone, in exploring shorts!

The third character on the trip is the phone. It is my robot companion. It's as close as we've got to an R2D2 or C3PO.

When you're making a programme called Stupid Man, Smart Phone, it's pointless just trying to be a rubbish Bear Grylls. The phone was the centre of the experiment, of the comedy, of the narrative. The phone's solving every quandary, that's what makes this programme completely unique.

But it taught me there's no substitute for the human element. Maybe my co-hosts would say differently, but you can't beat that feeling of an expert walking in and it's a real person, shaking your hand, talking you through it and helping you. It's just not the same.

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/russell_kane/status/686900910493184000

I’m really close to my mum and she was just worried for me. I'm always falling over, always injuring myself, so I'm not the best person to be climbing up a mountain or trekking across the desert leading a beast. We were Skyping them all the time while I was away.

But I learnt I could prepare an animal. And I can light a fire without wood - we burnt camel poo one night. I used a tampon and hand sanitizer to start a fire. I've inadvertently learnt quite a lot of survival knowledge.

Thankfully for the team, I'm still a worrier. If we cure that, we don't have a show! A lot of the comedy comes out of seeing me screaming at a spider or a snake or a car door that didn't close.

Interview by Kieran Coyle.

Russell Kane is a comedian and stars in Stupid Man, Smart Phone.

The series continues on Sunday, 8 May from midday on BBC iPlayer. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for six months.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

2016-04-04T10:38:35+00:00

This week’s TV is all about love, lies and one massive leap of faith…

Esteemed actor Adrian Lester tries out a new look in Undercover…

Watch the awkward moment on BBC iPlayer– Undercover, BBC One

This look of pure young love

Watch their stolen moments together – Murdered by My Father, BBC Three

The realisation that Bake Off Crème de la Crème is not all fuzzy and warm

See the professionals under stress – Bake Off Crème de la Crème, BBC Two

This giant leap for quiz-kind

See what this contestant endured to win prizes – Can’t Touch This, BBC One

When someone tells you make-up is just advertising fertility

See why Connie is so shocked about the world of beauty– Connie Fisher on Make-Up, BBC One Wales

And finally, we couldn’t miss the impending return of Top Gear – complete with fancy dress…

Watch Matt LeBlanc being thoroughly unimpressed – Top Gear, BBC Two

And if you want to see what TV presenter Dermot O’Leary picked out on BBC iPlayer this week you can watch Frank Skinner On Demand With...

Botox, big bums and beauty: Producing Young, Welsh and Pretty Skint

2016-03-01T11:00:20+00:00

When I was asked to produce the new series of Young, Welsh and Pretty Skint, I had no real idea about the world I was about to step into.

Growing up, I’d never been a particularly girly girl. I prefer to go for the natural look and apart from the occasional manicure and fake tan (for special events), I’ve never really embraced the cosmetic or beauty industry.

But this series is all about young people living in Wales who spend every last penny on achieving a certain look. I have to admit, I was intrigued to find out why.

Armed with Iwan, the director, and Mali, the researcher we set out to meet those who see Botox and big bums as life’s necessities.

Fitness model Caitlin, 24, spends thousands on custom bikinis for competitions

Before we knew it we were thrust into a world where bikini-clad girls were wearing enough bling to rival any of Beyoncé’s outfits; where muscular men were queuing up for a spray tan with nothing more than a sock to cover their modesty and where the ‘ass class’ is the new going out!

Suddenly, as a thirty-something mother of two, I started to feel slightly old and just a bit scruffy. It didn’t help when I caught glimpses of myself in the many mirrors which seemed to be at every location we filmed in… Were those laughter lines around my eyes calling out for a shot of Botox? Or would life really be so much better with a permanent tan?

I was starting to worry that being immersed in this world may force our small production team to go native! There were several moments where Mali, our young and trendy researcher contemplated having her eyebrows weaved or attempt a fitness modelling competition. Even Iwan - whose beauty regime is very limited - went out to have his hair cut.

Hairdresser Jade lets clients rent hair extensions - made from real human hair

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea and admittedly, there’ll be a few raised eyebrows during the series. But each contributor has his or her own reasons for wanting to look good. Some are doing it to make themselves feel good and boost their confidence. Others use their look as armour to fight against the bullying they endured as a child.

Whatever their reasons, there’s no doubt that while these young people spend the little they have on fake tans, cosmetic procedures and hair extensions, they’re also really enjoying life. Soon enough they’ll have family responsibilities and mortgages to pay and will have to wave goodbye to their extravagant and indulgent beauty regimes, so are they really doing any harm?

Caitlin pays for multiple gym memberships - so she can train wherever she goes

As alien as this world was to me personally, I really enjoyed meeting with all the contributors. Yes, it was an eye-opener and a lot of fun, but before you ask, no, I didn’t reach for the Botox.

Catrin Rowlands produced the new series of Young, Welsh and Pretty Skint.

Young, Welsh and Pretty Skint starts on Thursday, 3 March at 6pm on BBC Three. It will also be broadcast on BBC One Wales from Monday, 7 March at 10.40pm. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Jim Chapman’s guide to the vlogging life

2016-02-01T15:20:17+00:00

Jim Chapman has over 2.4 million video subscribers, 1.6 million Twitter followers, and is part of a family of extremely successful UK video bloggers. As Jim takes on his first documentary presenting gig in BBC Three’s Rise of the Superstar Vloggers, he explains the vlogging rules he lives by.

I always say that vlogging, to begin with at least, is a very anti-social way of being social. You can reach millions of people, but you never have to actually put yourself in the social situation of talking face to face.

It’s like a safety net to find out if being yourself will actually result in people liking you. If you watch my videos in some sort of chronological order, you can actually see how I begin to relax as my confidence grows. I rarely feel shy anymore.

This external content is available at its source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlIblRn3NqQ

The first time I vlogged was exciting, but I didn’t really think much more of it than that. It’s not like I knew it was going to take off and grow into what it has become today. It was just a hobby, something I enjoyed to take my mind off the fact that I had no idea what I wanted my career to be.

Anyone can make videos. All you need is a camera, an internet connection and something to edit on. I don’t think that just because you can upload content that you'll make a success of it though. I actually think this is a good thing. If you make videos because you want fame then you’re doing it for the wrong reasons and the audience will see through it.

I still have no idea why people enjoy watching me and it scares me that they’ll realise I’m actually not that special. Sometimes I do suspect that this is the very reason it is so special though: I’m a really normal guy and get to take my audience on all the weird and wonderful journeys I go on. It’s not scripted or produced or false, it’s just me.

This external content is available at its source: Jim and wife Tanya pull funny faces for a picture

I think vlogging is contagious. My sisters (Sam Chapman and Nic Haste - beauty vloggers Pixiwoo) started, then my wife Tanya Burr, then me, then my brother John and his friend Leon, then Leon’s girlfriend...

Although it feels like you see everything, we all share only what we want to. We all have a 24 hour day just like everyone else and we’ll make a 10 minute video from that day. There is certainly a learning process involved though. When I first started, I felt a need to share everything and it got a bit too much for me, so I took a step back, realised where my boundaries were and re-evaluated.

On our wedding day, the last thing Tanya and I wanted to do was to keep getting our cameras out and miss the moments we wanted to share with each other. We actually had a no social media rule at the wedding. We just wanted all of our guests to have fun and take a day off with us.

This external content is available at its source: Jim Chapman and Tanya Burr on their wedding day

In general, I do think that people’s private space has become much smaller due to social media. But it’s important to remember that people only post what they want to. There is no automatic life update on Twitter. If people overshare, there’s probably a reason for it.

Presenting this documentary was really different for me. I’m so used to rambling on about whatever I want to, however I want to - there’s nobody giving me any feedback. But with TV all that changes.

I don’t think traditional media will ever disappear, but I certainly see that I am in the right place at the right time. This generation (and seemingly the ones that follow) tends to like the choice of the internet. They can watch shows with high production values and also see people like me attempt to bake a cheesecake and fail miserably.

This external content is available at its source: Jim holidays with other vloggers including Tanya Burr and Zoella

I think the moment you have to think about how real you are online is the moment you lose all credibility. This is the easiest part of my job: I’m me and I can’t not be. I’ve been doing this for about five years now and although I’ve grown up a little and my life has completely changed, I couldn’t fake who I am for all of this time.

But some platforms can be misleading. On Instagram, you may take 100 photos before you find the perfect one you want to post which can lead to a slightly altered version of your reality. Video content doesn’t give you that luxury. I film when I’m all sweaty and gross after the gym!

Jim Chapman is a vlogger and presents Rise of the Superstar Vloggers.

Rise of the Superstar Vloggers is broadcast on Monday, 1 February at 9pm on BBC Three. The programme will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

How to avoid travel disasters – with Wanted Down Under

2016-01-04T15:46:22+00:00

I still remember the day I was summoned to my boss’ office in 2012 and asked if I'd series produce Wanted Down Under – the BBC One series which sends families off to Australia or New Zealand for a week before they decide whether or not to emigrate there for good.

'Brilliant!' I thought. 'Amazing!' In my head I already had my bags packed, and was living a life by the beach. Unfortunately though the reality was slightly different. My Antipodean adventure was to be lived out over the phone from an office in not so sunny Belfast.

In February, at the end of the 10th series, I’ll be hanging up my cork-adorned hat and handing Wanted over to a new team. And it’s fair to say my three and a half years on the show have been as much of a roller-coaster ride as the emotional journeys our families experience on the show.

Sending 20 families and four producers every year to the other side of the world for an intensive period of filming certainly comes with its own unique set of challenges – from dealing with kids falling off airport trolleys to losing expensive kit at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Here’s how I personally managed to (mostly) avoid disaster during my time on the show.

1. Plan, plan, plan

With just two days between each of our families departing Australia and the next one arriving, ensuring everything sticks to schedule is key.

Even just getting our families down under can cause problems. One year we had a frantic phone call from parents to say our travel company had helpfully booked their two young children on a separate flight from their mum and dad. And this year, a producer turned up to film a family arriving in Adelaide only to discover their flight had been delayed by eight hours in Malaysia. With no room for slippage, that meant they were filming well into the night – not ideal after an exhausting long haul flight!

2. Always have a back-up

Once we’ve chosen our families and organised their trip, experience has taught us that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll end up appearing on the show.

Over my time on the show we’ve lost families due to illnesses, bosses refusing to grant time off, cold feet about appearing on TV, and even unfortunately couples separating (not once, but twice).

It means a mad scramble to cancel flights, find a family to jet off to Australia at almost impossibly short notice, and research, set up and complete all their filming in the UK before the producer leaves for down under. Back-up families are a requirement when casting now!

3. Having a good team is everything…

I’ve been very lucky on Wanted to work with some really talented producers. The show requires not only good technical skills (all our producers film the shows themselves, apart from in New Zealand where we use a cameraman) but also being on call for families day or night.

Like the producer one year – who on a rare day off – got a call from a distraught mum in floods of tears. Her family had become lost on their way to the airport and spent two hours driving round Auckland in circles. After jumping in her own car and eventually tracking them down, our producer led them out to the airport and merrily waved them on their way as they caught their flight in the nick of time.

4. …but remember they’re only human!

Possibly the biggest challenge we faced making this year’s series was when one of our producers in Australia was taken ill. We had no choice but to get him home quickly, but with only three days before the next family was due to arrive, we suddenly faced having no one to make the show.

Getting someone to Australia in time wasn’t an option. So thus began a weekend of more frantic phone calls, desperately trying to track down a producer in Australia who’d be in the right city at the right time and be able to get up to speed in the show over the course of a weekend.

Amazingly, thanks to the efforts of our production manager, we managed to pull it off. Copies of the show were sent via email, and I had telephone conversations to explain the format. The producer we hired did a cracking job, and come January when those episodes air on BBC One, hopefully they won’t look any different for viewers!

5. Don’t put your phone on 'do not disturb' at night

Unfortunately four teams shooting on the other side of the world simultaneously means a good night’s sleep isn’t guaranteed. Previous Wanted series producers swap tales of how many times they’ve been woken when something’s gone awry in Australia.

I got off pretty lightly – with only three mid-slumber calls. One was from an alarmed producer who on bringing a family to their accommodation for the week found it flea-ridden and filthy. Mum was in tears – understandably after their flight all they wanted to do was sleep in clean surroundings. Managing somehow to be coherent at 3.30am, we thankfully got them re-accommodated quickly.

My most recent early AM call? A producer whose phone developed a habit of calling me randomly from his pocket. We soon put a stop to that!

While I am looking forward to having my phone on silent while I sleep, and not checking my emails bleary-eyed before I’m even out of bed in the morning, I will miss being a part of the show. Out of the 70 families that have made the trip down under since I started on the series, almost 30 have either made the move or are in the throes of doing it. As we say in the office it really is a show that changes lives.

Simon Miller is series producer on Wanted Down Under.

Wanted Down Under, series 10, continues on Tuesday, 5 January at 11am on BBC One. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Matt Edmondson: 'I'd marry Lord Sugar for the money'

2015-10-07T13:15:27+00:00

As 18 brand new candidates iron their sharpest suits and prepare their most cliched lines, The Apprentice superfan and BBC Radio 1 DJ, Matt Edmondson shares everything he loves about the nail-biting show.

What do you think would happen if you asked Lord Sugar to play Plank All Over Me with you on Radio 1?

I think I would be quickly and rapidly removed from his presence! In the unlikely event that he was up for it, I would relish the opportunity. Could he last the full three minutes? I’m not sure - although I don’t think I’d want to be the person to tell him that he hadn’t made it in to the hall of fame.

Which past Apprentice contestant would you hire as a motivational speaker and why?

Raef Bjayou, the posh, floppy-haired chap from series four. I’ve met him a few times and he is the most charming man imaginable. I’m pretty sure that he would be excellent at motivational speeches, in a sort of Hugh Grant, foppish way. He did once famously say: “The spoken word is my tool”.

Unsurprisingly, public speaking is one of Raef's current pastimes

What tips would you give to new advisor, Claude Littner?

Just to be himself, and by that I mean be a ruthlessly hard man to please. He’s always been my favourite contributor to the interview stages, as he takes no nonsense and can spot a liar a mile away. He has an excellent eye for detail, and I think that will come in handy when separating fact from fiction in the boardroom.

If you could set the candidates any challenge, what would it be and why?

I’d quite like a challenge where they have to put on an entertainment night at a holiday park or something similar, just to see if they have any hidden talents!

Name one person – in any walk of life – that you’d love to say: ‘You’re fired!’ to. Why?

I’d love to be able to say it to the lady at the cupcake stand near Radio 1, as I am forever tempted to swing by and pick up another delicious treat. If she wasn’t there, the temptation would be removed!

Snog, marry or avoid: Karren, Alan and Claude?

Snog Karren, marry Alan for the money and avoid Claude. Surely it’s the logical choice?

Karren, Alan and Claude are looking for 'a complete all-rounder'

What’s your favourite-ever contestant catchphrase from past series?

I like Ricky Martin’s “I am the reflection of perfection”, simply because it’s a great rhyme. I can see it being printed on a T-shirt. Also, Susan Ma seriously asking: “Are the French very fond of their children?” still amuses me.

Which candidate from past series would you most like to challenge to a rap battle and why?

It’s got to be Michael Sophocles, if only because he’d be delighted to be back under the spotlight! I think his rap game would be as good as his The Apprentice game.

Which new series candidate has already caught your attention and why?

I’m slightly obsessed with Joseph this year. I watched his audition tape and he is certainly a character. I can’t wait to see more of him as the series progresses!

Why do you love the show so much?

I love getting to know all of the candidates, and I love seeing their huge egos clash on the most basic of tasks. I get really in to it.

Matt Edmondson hosts The Apprentice: Meet the Candidates, available to watch on BBC iPlayer until 8am on Thursday, 5 November.

The Apprentice, series 11 starts on Wednesday, 14 October at 9pm on BBC One. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Abz on the Farm: 'You don’t know somebody until you’ve lived with them without wi-fi!'

2015-08-11T07:01:35+00:00

After deciding they'd had enough of their busy city lives, former 5ive singer Abz Love and fiancée Vicky Fallon bought a farm in rural Wales with the aim of creating a simpler life for them both. But as their show Country Strife: Abz on the Farm shows, it hasn't all been plain sailing...

Was it love at first sight?

A: It was probably love at second sight! There was no spark the first time around. We met at a ‘do' that Vicky’s pops was putting on because he’s in the RAF.

V: It wasn’t fireworks… But we met again eight years later - six years ago now. Abz was in a very different place and more humble and I was older and wiser and we immediately fell in love and have been inseparable ever since!

A: We kind of had to go through what we had to go through – do a bit of growing up first!

Describe the moment you decided “Let’s move to rural Wales and set up our own farm!”

V: About a year into our relationship we were renting in London and we were so miserable. We live for our animals and we realised you can’t really have chickens on a balcony in London. You can’t have a horse in a garage – it just doesn’t work. The only option was to look at places further afield where we could actually afford to get somewhere with a bit of land. It took us five years to actually accomplish it because we didn’t have the means. Then the Big Reunion and Big Brother happened and it got to a position where things were a bit easier.

A: I was looking at moving to Bolivia or Bulgaria, but with my accent, I didn’t think it would really work…

V: Wales had such a lovely vibe about it; it looked the part, it had lovely valleys and it’s so green, and the people are lovely as well. But also, it’s cheap, which helps!

So what were your initial plans for your own farm?

V: Well, to be honest, we didn’t think that far. We just needed to get out of the city and back to nature and do something different – we’d done everything there was to do when it comes to city life: night clubs; fine dining, and we needed to get some balance back. We didn’t think about what we needed, we just dove in.

A: When I did TV show The Big Reunion, I thought I was a farmer because I grew some potatoes and carrots and stuff, but really I only had a big garden! Here the land is... well, drainage and water logging ain’t funny! It’s madness!

V: We don’t have television, we don’t have wi-fi and we don’t have mobile phones! We’ll have to drive up a mountain to watch the show on BBC iPlayer!

What was the most nerve-racking element of the move?

V: Well the thing I was most nervous about was how we were going to afford anything. I do all the sensible stuff in our relationship – Abz doesn’t even open his own mail!

A: I’m right here, I’m right here!

V: He just kind of floats through life, waking up, maybe going out in the garden and doing a bit of weeding, while I’m up on a mountain trying to sort out our financial stuff out!

A: I think we all know you don’t know somebody until you’ve lived with them without wi-fi and I think we’ve passed that border now – I was really nervous about that because we were really hard on online, you know, high speed internet. But now we play scrabble and have conversations! My highest scoring scrabble word recently was viscount.

V: He’s been on about that one for weeks!

Left: Abz holds his first chicken as a child. Right: Vicky with their cockerel, Nando

Abz, when you were in 5ive, did you ever imagine your future would be in farming?

A: Definitely not, man! Milking the cows and talking to my neighbour about how to make a basket out of willow and hazel? Like, what!? Everything feels real. Sometimes in the city I felt no connection to nobody or anything, but out here it feels like there’s a duty to look after our little part of the planet.

V: It’s definitely different to our old life, but it’s definitely not boring.

Did you ever get to a point where you thought: ‘Let’s go back to London’?

V: At Christmas there were definitely a few ‘Oh wow, what have we done’ moments. It was cold and windy and there was snow. We were learning how to cook on the stove, which we also used to heat our house. Our whole existence over winter was just starting fires and trying to keep warm.

A: It was too much this one time - the wind was slapping my face, I was knee deep in mud in the field and I looked up to the sky and was like: 'Why god, why?' It was a proper Biblical moment – like a flood was coming!

V: Abz has an overactive imagination! We were really feeling the pressure and we were rowing. Thank god we didn’t think it through more, because I think if we’d have known it was going to be that hard we wouldn’t have done it.

You’re clearly big animal lovers – tell us about some of the farm’s residents?

V: The dogs are our babies! We take them everywhere!

A: We’ve got two horses who are far too big for us and they’re churning up the paddock. We should probably have got smaller horses…

V: We probably should have got no horses! But that’s the big debate right now – do we persevere with the horses, or is it not practical where we are… it’s quite a sensitive topic! We also had nine chickens, but we’ve only got four left because a fox outwitted us.

A: We have three feral cats. They’re eating well – organic cat food – they’re eating better than me!

V: We thought they could catch mice on the farm, but we’ve fed them too much. Now they’re inviting other cats!

What’s the future for the farm?

V: It doesn’t have to make us rich, but I’d like it to get as self-sufficient as we can. I’m growing a variety of stuff and we’re thinking of maybe trying truffle hunting!

A: I read that a white truffle went for a cool million!

V: We have not got a flippin’ clue what we’re going to do, but the goal is to try and find out. Abz has got to go out and try his hand at different things.

A: I’m enjoying working with wood so I might get into woodwork. I’ve made a decent mallet! And I’ve made an egg holder…

V: It’s basically a chunk of wood with some chiselled out grooves for the eggs.

A: It’s very authentic looking and rustic. I’ve also made a shelf…

V: …But it can’t go up against the wall.

A: And I’ve made a table out of an old window!

V: That was pretty cool!

A: I just need to think of a company name… Maybe Woody!

Abz Love and Vicky Fallon star in Country Strife: Abz on the Farm.

Country Strife: Abz on the Farm starts on Sunday, 16 August at 9.45pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Great British Menu: 'I love homely food that reminds me of gran'

2015-08-03T09:00:00+00:00

Chef Jak O'Donnell and her signature pink apron made it to the finals on Great British Menu last year, and now she's back for more. As she competes to get her Scottish-inspired dishes into this year's banquet, Jak explains just how much food means to her, and her young family.

My kids love seafood. It all started when my daughter was just coming up for two and a half: we went for dinner and ordered her a pot of mussels, and it was one of those moments my husband Ewan and I won't forget. Mesmerised by the amount of bits and bobs the waiter put beside her, she sat still for the first time in two years, glued to the spot, carefully shelling and eating the mussels. Ewan and I thought we were in heaven: a full conversation together and a content wee girl! It took a long time for her to demolish everything, but she was very proud of her sculpture of shell art.

Obviously watching me cooking mussels at home it seemed easy peasy to a now four-year-old, and one day I came into the kitchen to find her with a pot on the stove, throwing in my tub of mussels and popping the lid on. It was a fast snack which made for a happy four-year-old! My son on the other hand is not so keen on cooking as much as consuming food. I think he has hollow legs...

When the two of them come to work with me they’re like kids in a sweet shop. They prefer coming on early mornings to help with the bread, and when the deliveries arrive I love the ‘wow’ on their wee faces. Although by that point half the produce is being plundered by them.

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/chef_jacqueline/status/571730932614471681

Surprisingly there’s nothing I can think of that they wouldn’t eat. They love a roast beef, carved at the table with all the trimmings and usually with a seafood starter. And anything round the table for sharing ticks my box!

I go on about it all the time, but I think as parents we should let kids cook. They will eat more if they have ownership of their tea, and obviously you decide the menu with them and involve them all the way. Don't just let them make cupcakes! Knife skills, both holding and using (under proper supervision of course) and not wasting food are all very good to learn.

So much of my actual love of food I got from my parents. With gran, the hub of the house was the kitchen, where we all sat round the table so everyone was involved. Even now that's what we love at home in the kitchen: watching; smelling; it's just a busy, great place to be.

Fellow Great British Menu competitor Graham Campbell's skills are scrutinised by Jak

From being allowed to grate carrots for grannie’s soup and getting to pluck the chickens that my grampa brought home, I was in my element. All the other grandchildren thought I was mad: they were out playing in the park, and I was in the kitchen!

I love food memories that remind you of when you were wee. Recently I brought a clootie dumpling home, lit the coal fire - just like what grannie had - dried the dumpling out that night and popped it on an old-fashioned china plate the same as my grannie’s. I sat it on an old wooden stool and shared a picture on Twitter. The amount of almost tearful comments I got in reply was amazing: it conjured up memories that meant so much to so many people.

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That's what I base my menus on: a dish giving you feeling of how it used to be when you watched your mum or gran cooking at home, and getting a great plate put in front of you.

Jak O'Donnell is a chef and competitor on Great British Menu.

Great British Menu starts on Monday, 3 August at 7.30pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Wanted: A Very Personal Assistant – ‘We felt like long lost friends!’

2015-07-30T14:32:33+00:00

Wanted: A Very Personal Assistant, introduces young disabled woman, Jasmine, to her temporary PA Emily, and they get on like a house on fire. Since filming stopped, Emily has remained on Jasmine’s bank of carers, and they are still very good friends. Here's an insight into their unique friendship...

What made you two such a good fit for each other?

J: Me and Emily got on so well because we have the same interests: partying, socialising and drinking. We both like to sing too, so it was a massive bonus for me to be able to sing with her brothers’ band, something I'd never done before.

E: Jasmine and I share a love for crude comedy and a strong belief in speaking honestly without constraint, so inevitably we were both up for talking about topics that would ordinarily be taboo when you’ve only known someone for a few hours!

Jasmine (left) and Emily (right): "The big plan is to go to a festival together"

What has been your favourite experience together? Why was that?

J: My favourite experience was going swimming with Emily, it's such an amazing thing to be able to walk in water, and to be able to experience this with her was truly amazing.

E: I introduced Jaz to my brothers at an open mic in Bristol. We’re in a Disney cover band called Dizney Rascal which is extremely silly. Jaz had told me that she likes to sing so I asked her if she wanted to sing a song together. My brothers thought she was really sound (and also a "slammin’ hotty"). Jaz was pretty nervous but she just got up, no messing and smashed it, of course. She’d just overcome a pretty big fear and it was a pleasure to watch.

What has been the most testing moment for the both of you?

J: I did struggle with the personal care, because I am shy. I worried that if Emily didn't wash me correctly I'd have to tell her to do it again and this would be awkward… which it wasn't.

E: This will sound ridiculous, but for me the most testing part of my experience of working for Jasmine was the polishing. I don’t want to sound like a princess but I have genuinely never polished a thing in my 21 years of living!

How have your domestic skills improved, Emily?!

E: I would love to say that some of Jasmine’s tidiness rubbed off on me, but that would be a straight up lie. I’m still not bringing my washing in before it rains and I have yet to master poaching eggs. Scattiness is in my genes!

What’s one thing you’ve learned from each other?

J: Since meeting Emily I have an 'I don't care' attitude. I have had three VERY daring tattoos since meeting her and I love them!

E: I’ve learned so many things from Jasmine it’s kind of impossible to say succinctly. She taught me how to straighten my hair properly... and I guess how to not look like a mess in general! More importantly, I have been trying to emulate the patience that she exhibited when taking me through her personal care routine.

Jasmine’s not resentful or frustrated with the sometimes inconsiderate treatment of people with disabilities in society. She seems to handle everything that life throws at her with so much grace.

How does your friendship make you feel?

J: Have you ever met someone and wondered how you managed without them before? Emily is like the long lost friend I never met, I literally love her.

E: I knew Jasmine and I would be good buddies as soon as I sat down in the interview and we started talking about how prone we are to dying our hair stupid colours until it falls out. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to her for choosing me as her PA and giving me the chance to get to know her. She is a truly stellar woman.

What would you say to young people looking for an assistant or young people looking to take on a similar role?

E: I would say that you’d be hard pushed to find a more meaningful and challenging role. Being a PA for young people just doesn’t seem like work (except maybe the cleaning and cooking aspect - but I’m sure the majority of young people out there aren’t quite as inept as myself when it comes to the household chores!). All you need is the resolve to just give it a whirl.

Wanted: A Very Personal Assistant continues on Friday, 31 July at 9pm on BBC Three. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

The programme is part of Defying the Label on BBC Three, a season of compelling programmes capturing the lives of young disabled people.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Great Ormond Street: My mum’s going to watch from behind a cushion!

2015-07-27T07:16:09+00:00

Jack Copley’s epilepsy started when he had a stroke as a newborn baby. His fits have increased severely since he hit puberty, and can’t be controlled by medication. Jack, now 17, was making his mind up about whether to have brain surgery to cure his epilepsy, with potential serious side effects, in BBC Two's Great Ormond Street.

I do think that people have some strange ideas about epilepsy. They seem to panic when they see someone having a seizure and assume you have to immediately call an ambulance. I just thought that maybe the programme would help to show that you can have seizures but still try to lead a normal life - people just need to make sure you cannot harm yourself and give you time and space to recover.

My top five seizures this year: Jack gives his rundown

I enjoyed it when the Great Ormond Street cameras came to my karate class and did some filming. But it made my Sensei even more determined that we would do every move correctly so we were all shattered after that session!

My mum kept leaving the room when she saw a bit of the programme with her in it - she didn't like seeing and hearing herself. It was hilarious! But also it was really hard being reminded of the tests and the seizure and the decision whether to have surgery. She'll watch the programme from behind a cushion like she watches any medical programme!

It was definitely weird to see myself having a seizure. Almost everyone I know has seen me have one but of course I never have until I saw the one they filmed in the programme. It was strange because I don't remember the seizure or the time immediately before it or after it, even though I can see myself talking.

Jack’s brain activity is monitored as staff investigate the causes of his fits

The day after the seizure you see in the film I was shattered. I had a really bad headache, felt sick, I just felt really dreadful and wanted to sleep. I don't recall the film crew visiting - but mum said they did because they had heard I had had the seizure and were worried about me which was nice.

I loved the filming: I like chatting and that was really all they asked me to do! They never insisted on anything. The camera and sound equipment was really interesting and I got to see how it all came apart and what all the different bits did, that was great.

I’ve had to grow up quicker than friends my age. I have to be sure to take medication or I could be really ill. Also, I have to tell 'new' people that I have epilepsy in case I have a seizure when I am with them, so that they know what to do and don't panic. It means that I do have to try to be a bit more responsible: plan, take water, don't overheat, that sort of thing.

It is frustrating too, because I can't learn to drive which others my age are doing. I love watching Formula 1 and I would love to learn to drive and physically I could learn in an adapted car, but the uncontrolled epilepsy rules that out.

Jack had to weigh up whether surgery was worth the risk of side effects like losing some vision

I was really glad it was me deciding whether to have surgery to remove parts of my brain linked to fits. I don't think that someone else should decide if you have surgery like that, even if you're still a teenager, because what could happen to you is really serious. But I didn't feel that it was totally down to me or that I had to decide all on my own, because I talked a lot with my mum and dad and my granddad especially and asked them what they thought. Actually, they thought the same as me which was really good and made the decision easier to make in the end.

Not doing karate would really, really upset me. What made me decide against the surgery was mainly the side effects: the doctors said I would definitely lose side vision and be even weaker down my right side, and that would mean that I would struggle continuing with my karate.

I definitely made the right choice. I am sad that I still have lots of seizures but we do know how to cope with them. I don't think I would have coped with the side effects from the operation and I love my karate and going to college too.

My top five moments this year have been:

1. Achieving my black belt in karate in April
2. Going to see Russell Howard Live
3. Seeing the poppies at the Tower of London while down at Great Ormond Street Hospital for some tests
4. Being voted student of the year at the end of my first year at college
5. Getting a part time job at Tesco
(And 5b. - I can’t wait to see myself on TV!)

Great Ormond Street continues on Tuesday, 28 July at 9pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

How To Survive Celebrity MasterChef: Heat two with Sam Nixon

2015-06-24T07:42:30+00:00

What do you tell yourself to help cope with nerves in the competition?

I usually shout at myself in my head like: "Come on Sam, concentrate. You can do this!"

What are you learning about yourself during the competition – any strengths or weaknesses you were not aware of?

I'm learning that I definitely have a style of cooking. I think the stuff I cook is very classic, no nonsense food.

Which heat two contestants will give Sam a run for his money?

What is the secret of good cooking, for you?

I've definitely learnt that it doesn't matter how many ingredients you put into a dish, it's care and love that makes a dish taste really good. Its sounds really cheesy, but I now truly believe that.

What’s your best cheat tip in the kitchen?

Similar to my answer above. My top tip is to be passionate about what you are cooking. Cook to your strengths and it will come out good.

Sam Nixon is a presenter and Celebrity MasterChef contestant.

Celebrity MasterChef continues on Thursday, 25 June at 9pm on BBC One. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

How To Survive Celebrity MasterChef: Heat one with Tish Potter

2015-06-18T12:22:27+00:00

What do you tell yourself to help cope with nerves in the competition?

I had to have a firm chat with myself and made the decision to have a bit more gumption. I really enjoy cooking but not under pressure. I don’t know why it should be so nerve-wracking, but for some reason it really is.

What are you learning about yourself during the competition – any strengths or weaknesses you were not aware of?

I am learning that I respond really well to pressure, funnily enough. Give me clear instructions, a bit of pressure and a bit of encouragement and I will happily work for as long as you like. However, I'm hopeless at making decisions and taking initiative... When I have to make up a recipe for example in the invention test, I panic.

Will the heat one cooks survive service at two busy London restaurants?

What is the secret of good cooking, for you?

Good cooking absolutely relies on good ingredients. Keep it simple. Make it tasty. Salt.

What’s your best cheat tip in the kitchen?

Best cheat in the kitchen? A tablespoon of hazelnut spread in a chocolate fondant stabilises it so it'll (almost) always have a spongey edge and a lovely gooey middle. Also herb scissors and garlic squishers save tons of time.

Tish Potter is an actress and Celebrity MasterChef contestant.

Celebrity MasterChef starts on Thursday, 18 June at 9pm on BBC One. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Prized Apart: Would Emma Willis and Reggie Yates tackle its high-adrenaline challenges?

2015-06-08T07:00:00+00:00

New gameshow Prized Apart sees 10 real-life duos compete for the chance to win £100,000 - with half of each couple sent to complete physical challenges in Morocco, while their loved ones at home tackle general knowledge questions to keep them in the game.

So would the show's hosts, Emma Willis and Reggie Yates, be up for the challenges the contestants took on?

How would you explain Prized Apart to your friends?

Emma: It is very much a gameshow, but there are two elements to the game: there is an adventure side to it and then there is a quiz side to it. As long as you can survive the adventure then you will remain in Morocco until the end. If not, you need to rely on having a partner who is very good at general knowledge to get you back out there to the adventure.

Reggie: The stakes are so much higher because two people are fighting for each other. And the contestants are what people are buying into. Because it’s all well and good having these crazy games and stuff, but if you like the people, you’ll buy into their journey. There needs to be heart for you to watch it.

What’s it like working with your Prized Apart co-host?

R: It’s a pleasure working with Emma, she’s the wickedest. It sounds awful but I’ve had many ‘TV wives’ over the years, and I love Emma to bits. She’s just so easy to work with, and chatting with her off-camera she’s exactly the same as when she’s on camera. That’s how I’d like to think I am, too. Love her.

E: It’s great because we have wanted to work together again for such a long time. But at the same time it is slightly torturous because I don’t get to see him until the final, so for about seven weeks!

If the pair of you were to compete together in Prized Apart, who’d do the challenges and who would tackle the questions?

R: I know Matt (Willis, Emma’s husband) fairly well, and I think I’d do exactly what Matt would do in the same situation and that is to sort of say: “Babes, seriously, just let me jump. I’ll run, and you handle that bit.” I’m not thick, but I’m definitely not the best when it comes to general knowledge! I’d rather challenge myself in the physical realm if I was to do it.

E: I am rubbish at general knowledge! But I am quite into adventure and challenges so I would love to do that. Reggie is terrified of things so it makes sense that he stays in the studio!

Emma turns quizmaster with half of the contestants in the studio

How much of a daredevil are you?

E: I like to think I am a real daredevil and I am up for anything but I think I am actually quite scared of things. As soon as I had kids my whole mentality changed and now it is all about survival!

R: I’m not. At all. I’m a bit of a homebody, and I’m not the most extreme of men on the planet. The most I think I do in terms of tough physicality is I run, and that’s it. I’m not going to be doing a Tough Mudder through choice any time soon.

Were you tempted to take part in any of the challenges yourself?

R: Nah. Not for me. Although, there was a canyon jump where you hold on to the rope – that looked awesome. Because looking at it, I thought I’d be able to actually do that, it didn’t look that impossible. So yeah, that one maybe. Because you’d feel like a real man after doing that, and I need all the help I can get!

Reggie spent six weeks jetting back-and-forth from Morocco for filming

Emma Willis and Reggie Yates co-host Prized Apart.

Prized Apart starts on Saturday 13 June at 7pm on BBC One. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Five lessons we have learned from Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents

2015-06-02T11:08:31+00:00

Whether it’s in the sun, snow, or at a festival, we’ve loved seeing what happens when teenagers think their parents aren’t following their every move. With a new series of Festivals, Sex and Suspicious Parents coming up on BBC Three and in BBC iPlayer, we take a look back at what we’ve learned from four years of undercover snooping.

1. Never get naked in public. You never know who’s watching.
Unless you have a giant, foam heart to cover your private bits, in which case it’s absolutely fine and not in the least bit embarrassing. Carry on.

Charlie and his friends headed to a music festival in Austria, but we have a sneaking suspicion that they probably weren’t there for the wonderfully engaging musical experience.

A day’s activity generally consisted of drinking, talking to girls, drinking, talking to more girls, drinking – and then losing their clothes. But when getting naked in front of a few random strangers in the campsite just didn’t cut it anymore, Charlie aimed for a slightly bigger audience…

Watch this episode now on BBC iPlayer.

2. Always make sure you try out the local cuisine.
Unless the local cuisine looks like it might be able to hurt you. Then maybe just leave the local cuisine for the actual locals.

In an episode where we were introduced to the concept of ‘tactical vomiting’, we followed Eman and his friends who were tempted to try some of the local delicacies at a food stall in Thailand. But would eating a scorpion prove to be one step too far?

3. It’s ok to get dressed up and go clubbing with your mates.
But if your parents insist on coming too, make sure they’re not cooler than you!

For Sophie and her friends, there is nothing more fun than having a few drinks and going out clubbing – unless you add some foam to the party too! Unfortunately for Sophie, her parents not only wanted to spy on her antics: they wanted to get up to their own shenanigans too. Mum and Dad know where the real party’s at.

4. Make sure you bring home a meaningful souvenir of your time abroad.
And no, a dodgy tattoo doesn’t qualify!

There are lots of reasons you might want to indulge in a tattoo: an intricate design, a personal signature, a reminder of a meaningful life event. But getting a camel tattooed on your toe so you can chat up girls with the line ‘would you like to see my camel toe?’ is definitely not a good one.

Meet Max, who was on his first lads’ holiday to Kos before heading off to university. With his dad watching every excruciating moment from a hiding place nearby, what did he think of Max’s regrettable holiday souvenir?

5. Never attempt physical activity when you’re hungover.
Unless you count falling down a ski slope and ripping your trousers as ‘physical activity’.

After a heavy night of drinking, what’s the first thing you think of when you wake up? A glass of water? A coffee? A fry-up? Well, in Chase’s case, the first thing he wanted to do at the winter resort of Val D’Isere was to go skiing.

Keeping in mind Chase had never been skiing before, didn’t want to stick to the smaller slopes, and had a hangover, everything was sure to go exactly to plan. Right?

Festivals, Sex and Suspicious Parents continues on Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC Three. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.