Hello Mary. What do you think makes a great home cook?
A good home cook will cook with love and passion, and have an understanding of, and a flair for, flavours.

Tell us about The Ultimate Challenge - what is it, how do you come up with each challenge, what are the main skills, what will impress you the most?
In The Ultimate, I want to see the type of food they cook for their friends and family for special occasions. I give them quite a narrow brief and it’s so exciting to see how they interpret that. I have chosen classic, well-loved family dishes that all the viewers will be able to relate to.

What do you want to see in the series that will really impress you? And what do you not want to see?
I want to see our contestants joy of cooking and enthusiasm giving the best results. I do not want to see disorganised preparation and panic when things don’t go right - an organised cook works in a tidy kitchen.

What has Angela brought to the table as a new judge?
Angela has brought her skill, expertise and extensive knowledge - but best of all her humour, which relaxes all of us. Cooking should be fun! She is a joy to work with.

What else is new about this series? What are you most excited for viewers to see?
The set is fabulous! It means that we can move about more, go into different room, make a cup of coffee and chat between us. The set is every cook's dream and the design is bang on trend!

What was your favourite home-cooked meal growing up?
My mother was the cook in the family, and the family roast of shoulder of lamb and fresh mint sauce with new potatoes, home-grown seasonal vegetables and bread and butter pudding was paramount to family life.