ITV1 serves up a new run of Cooking with the Stars

However, it’s off our screens at the moment (well, there’s little room for anything other than the Olympics coverage on the BBC), but ITV1 is filling the gap by bringing us a new run of Cooking with the Stars.

Next week, Emma Willis can be seen hosting Love Is Blind: UK with her husband Matt for streaming juggernaut Netflix, but has found the time to squeeze in a return to this show, alongside co-presenter Tom Allen.

“I’m so excited to be heading back into the Cooking With The Stars kitchen alongside Tom for an all-new series,” says Willis. “We have a brilliant new line-up of celebrities who are set to be put to the test. You never know what their capabilities are which makes it a lot of fun. And if we’re lucky, we get to mop up the leftovers from the worktops!”

Allen is perhaps even more excited about it: “I cannot believe how lucky I am to watch another batch of celebrities – all pretty much clueless in the kitchen – turning out the most amazing dishes. All in a bid to get their hands on my golden frying pan. Emma and I are back in the Cooking With The Stars kitchen and we are over the moon!”

Taking part are Paralympian Ellie Simmonds, model and presenter Abbey Clancy, athlete Linford Christie, actor and television host Christopher Biggins, presenter Carol Vorderman, comedian Katherine Ryan, YouTuber Harry Pinero and former Strictly Come Dancing pro Pasha Kovalev.

They will be paired with a professional chef who teaches them how to make a dish they hope will go down a treat. Those who don’t impress will have to fight for their place in the contest during the dreaded Cook Off, which is judged blind by the mentors – it’s possible a celeb may even be sent home by the person who has been guiding them.

Although Allen claims that mostly the celebs are clueless in the kitchen, one person who fancies himself as a cook is Kovalev.

“I cook a little bit but it’s always nice to learn new skills in that department and there is no better way of learning than when you are under pressure, as you have to learn fast and I love learning and this is the best show to mix those things together.”

He also reckons there isn’t much he can take from his experience on Strictly to Cooking with the Stars: “They are very different, but at least on Strictly the pressure ends after a minute and a half! Either way on this show, the pressure lasts for an hour at least and so many things can go wrong or if you are lucky they can go right!”

Kovalev has, however, spotted somebody he thinks would do well on the dance contest – Katherine Ryan.

“She looks like she’s got it going on and her posture is great, and she is willing to put the work in.”

Watch this space – with this year’s contestants still to be announced, maybe she’ll be snapped up, and appearing in Cooking with the Stars may prove to be the perfect reality TV training ground for her.