Interview with Cooking With The Stars series 3 contestant Matt Willis

Why have you decided to sign up for the show?

I thought it would be fun! I cook quite a bit at home but it’s always the same thing over and over so I wanted to learn some new recipes. And to be honest, I wanted to hang out with Emma. We never really work together and something like this is so out of my wheelhouse so I thought why not try something a bit different, especially with Emma presenting it!

How would you describe your cooking abilities? How would you rate your abilities on a scale of 1 to 5?

I would say I'm two and a half - I’m definitely not very good but I get by!

Who is the chef in your house?

Me - I tend to cook more than Emma, it’s just ended up that way. I don’t mind doing it and Emma is quite particular so it usually takes longer. I’m not a massive fan of cleaning up so usually there’s a kind of rule that if you cook, you don’t clean up but that rule isn’t always obeyed and sometimes I end up doing both!

What would you like to take from this experience?

I’ve learnt so much. Being paired with Shelina was brilliant because she’s such an incredible chef, it was so amazing to work with her.

Do you like going out for dinner? Would you consider yourself a foodie?

We like a nice restaurant but it’s very rare these days. When you’ve got three kids the chance of going out is rare. We both work quite a lot so when we’re not working, we’re at home with the kids.

What’s your favourite cuisine?

I love Japanese food. I spent quite a lot of time in Japan with the band and I fell in love with Japanese culture.

Do you have a bit of a guilty pleasure when it comes to food?

When Emma met me all I ate was Pot Noodles. I lived on Pot Noodles and takeaway pizza, that was my diet. So she would cook things and I would be like ‘Wow!” She was amazing! I never really explored anything before then. I love biscuits but I’m terrible at moderation - if I have a biscuit, I’ll eat the whole pack. The chocolate rounds from M&S, they get me every time.

Have there been any funny moments or cooking disasters yet during filming?

I’m not very good at pretty or making stuff look good, everything always looks a mess. I tried not to be messy on set but I’m a really messy person - you will see it on the show.

Who did you think could be your main competition when you met your fellow celebs for the first time?

To be honest I thought everyone would be better than me! I didn’t come here to win necessarily, so I had a feeling that with my culinary skills, everyone would be better than me.

Would you describe yourself as competitive?

No, I'm not very competitive. I’m competitive with myself but I don’t really get competitive with other people.

What has it been like working with Shelina?

Shelina is wicked in so many ways, she has so much faith in me. I feel like she was pleased she got me which was nice. She seemed pleased with what I could do. We had a brilliant time together and she’s got such a calming influence as well which made me feel like I could do it.

If you were hosting a dinner party and could invite three famous faces, who would they be?

I’m a big fan of Russell Brand - I find him so fascinating and intelligent. I’d love to have Judi Dench round - I find her incredible and Robert De Niro. Those three would be amazing.

ENDS