Tom Kerridge - What Have They Done To You?

Ever since I heard of Tom Kerridge (jolly, tubby, Brit chef and owner of the 2-Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers pub in Marlow), I've been a fan. He's always come across as approachable, warm and friendly. And he can cook a bit, too.

So I was looking forward to his new TV series, Tom Kerridge's Best Ever Dishes. Tom's always been a bit laddish, and I don't mind that too much. But as the episode went on, it became somewhat forced, as if the director and / or scriptwriter were egging him on, making him say things like 'if yer mates don't like this, get new mates!', 'oy, oy, oy!', 'look at these big boys' and 'that's proper hardcore'.

Sounds trivial, I know, but Tom looked and sounded uncomfortable delivering these lines (I can understand that, of course - talking to camera isn't exactly a natural activity). Sadly, I don't think I'll be watching the rest of the series.

However, it's not all bad - he made pulled brisket of beef, which inspired me to make some brilliant pulled pork sandwiches. Proper lush.