Interview with BBC Celebrity MasterChef 2023 contestant Richie Anderson

What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?

I wanted to do Celebrity MasterChef because I want to get more confident in the kitchen. I work on the breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. I’m up early and I get home tired, so I'm quite lazy in the kitchen. That's my excuse anyway! I just throw things in the oven, bung things in the microwave, but I wanted to come here to learn. My aim is to come on here and get good enough to throw a summer garden party where I've cooked everything for all my friends and family.

What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen?

Oh my goodness me! Walking into that kitchen for the first time was terrifying. It's like an Aladdin's cave but full of food and kitchenware. I didn't know where to turn, I was a bit like a bull in a china shop. And of course, I'm stood there in front of John and Gregg. I mean, that's enough to get anybody's heart racing.

How have you prepared to take on the challenge?

I don't cook a lot but for the past week we have had home cooked meals every single night for dinner. So, spare a thought for my poor other half who has had to eat them, bless him. I've be making everything from scratch and following recipe books, just hoping things sink in and stick. I feel like it’s improved my palette a bit, but I'm here to learn.

What do your family think of your cooking?

Dean would give me a 10 out of 10, so if he could be one of the judges with John and Gregg, I would much appreciate that.

What’s your desert island dish?

This might be a bit of a left field one, but I remember in school you used to get those strawberry cornflake cakes? It was like a tart on the bottom, strawberry jam, and then corn flakes on top. It just reminds me of the school hall, and they were delicious. So, if I was on a desert island, I would take that with me.

What are the three things you always have in your fridge and why?

Ah! Booze, cheese and… what else is in our fridge? Orange juice.

Favourite dish to cook at home?

My favourite dish to cook at home is a stir fry. I like a good stir fry with prawns and pineapple in it. I love putting fruit in my food. Even if I do chicken, rice and peas I put fruit in the sauce, I mix in a bit of apple, a bit of orange, a bit of pineapple. I'm not a big fan of spice, so I always use fruit to sweeten everything up.

Do you like pineapple on pizza?

Yeah, I'm obsessed. Actually, I'm changing my desert island dish. Cheese, ham and pineapple pizza.