Ready Steady Cook facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ready Steady Cook
Third logo, used from 2005 to 2010
Genre	Cooking show
Presented by	Fern Britton Ainsley Harriott Rylan Clark-Neal
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	32
No. of episodes	1,888
Production
Running time	30 minutes (1994–2000) 45 minutes (2000–2010, 2020–2021)
Production company(s)	Bazal Productions (1994–2001) Endemol UK Productions (2002–06) Cheetah Television (2006–10) Remarkable Television (2020-2021)
Distributor	Banijay
Release
Original network	BBC Two (1994–2010) BBC One (1997–2003, 2020–2021)
Original release	24 October 1994 (1994-10-24) – 15 April 2021 (2021-04-15)
Chronology
Related shows	MasterChef

Ready Steady Cook is a BBC daytime TV cooking game show. It debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last original edition was broadcast on 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host. In August 2000, when Harriott took over, the duration of the programme was extended from 30 to 45 minutes.

On 2 September 2019, it was confirmed that Rylan Clark-Neal would host a revived daytime series on BBC One in 2020. On 7 September 2021, it was announced by the BBC that the series ended after two series.

Format

Ingredients

Two members of the public provided two celebrity chefs with a bag of ingredients they had bought, usually to a set budget of £5. Essential ingredients such as Bread, Milk, Eggs etc. are provided by the show. The two teams were designated "red tomato" and "green pepper" (referred to as "red kitchen" and "green kitchen" after the August 2007 revamp, though the tomato and pepper motifs still featured on the guests' aprons and in the show's logo).

Occasionally, the permitted budget was increased: a so-called Bistro Bag allowed for ingredients of up to £7.50, while the Gourmet Bag could have a value of up to £10. On some occasions, they used a £3.50 Budget Bag. Also on a few shows, a Lucky Dip Bag was used, which contained ten items. The chef closed their eyes and picked out half of the items at the beginning. At the halfway mark, the chef randomly picked a sixth item, which might have helped or hindered the chef. The chefs had no prior knowledge of the ingredients they had to prepare. Another format was used on occasion in which both kitchens were given the same ingredients, and the toss of a red and green die determined who had first pick.

The Main Course

The chefs had to make several dishes out of the said ingredients in 20 minutes, with the help of the contestants and the programme host. As the contestants taste the prepared food, the host asks the chef some questions about their dish. Prior to the September 2006 season it was customary for the chefs to name their creations, which usually included a pun.

The preparations were voted on by the studio audience, who each held up a card showing either a red tomato or green pepper. In the newer episodes, the audience members pushed a button on their seat keypad to indicate who they would like to win. The winner received a cash prize of £100, which celebrity guests donated to charity (an example the regular guests sometimes followed) but this was changed to a plate towards the end of the series. The runner-up used to receive a hamper which included a variety of items, such as a set of knives, pasta and sauces, olive oil and balsamic vinegar but later received a Ready Steady Cook mug due to budget restraints.

Variations on the format

• Classic Bag – The original format where the contestant brought in a bag of ingredients costing up to £5.
• Budget Bag – Similar to the 'Classic Bag' but the ingredients could only cost up to £3.50.
• Bistro Bag – Ingredients worth £7.50.
• Gourmet Bag – Worth £10.
• Doubling Up Bag – Both contestants bring in the same ingredients. The host used a coin or die with a Green Pepper and Red Tomato on to decide which chef would decide what to do with the ingredients first. The other chef must do something different.
• Forfeit Bag – The chefs had to choose a card at random with a forfeit which prohibited their use of a certain store cupboard ingredient such as No Fresh Herbs, No Spices, No Citrus or No Wine.
• Gamble Bag – The chefs were presented with three mystery ingredients and are given the opportunity to swap one of their ingredients with one of these mystery ingredients. They do not have to swap but if they do, they cannot change their minds once the new ingredient is revealed.
• Lucky Dip – The Chefs were presented with a bag of ten items from which they had to pick five at random. After 10 minutes had passed, they then chose a sixth ingredient, which depending on what the chef has started cooking, can help or hinder them.

Celebrity Ready Steady Cook

Originally as a spin-off that ran alongside the original, Celebrity Ready Steady Cook had celebrities, often competing against a family member or friend, provide the bag of ingredients to the same budget of £5. Later series would see the public completely replaced with celebrity guests.

Celebrity appearances include: David Tennant, Wendy Richard, Kate Winslet, Honor Blackman, James May, Richard Hammond, Paul O'Grady as alter-ego Lily Savage, Cliff Richard, Twiggy, Rakie Ayola, Fiona Bruce, Gail Porter, Midge Ure, Edd China, Amanda Redman, Ade Edmondson and Alan Davies.

Featured chefs

Original version:

Revived series

In September 2019, the BBC announced that Ready Steady Cook would return.

Returning in March 2020, Celebrity MasterChef finalist Rylan Clark-Neal serves as host. He is joined by chefs Ellis Barrie, Romy Gill, Anna Haugh, Akis Petretzikis, and Mike Reid.

Ready Steady Cook introduced various sustainability efforts, including favouring glass over plastic, initiating a recycling programme, donating leftover food to a local food bank, and using locally sourced seasonal ingredients and Fair Trade items when available.

The second series following the revival started airing in March 2021. Clark-Neal returned as host, with the chef team largely remaining the same. Jeremy Pang replaced Mike Reid as Reid was unable to return to the UK from Australia during the pandemic. For the first time, the chefs decided the winner as the show was filmed without an audience.

Series overview

Original series

Revived series

Celebrity Ready Steady Cook

Specials

Daytime Celebrity Christmas specials

International versions

Country	Title	Broadcaster	Presenter(s)	Premiere	Finale
Australia	Ready Steady Cook	Network Ten	Nick Stratford (2005) Peter Everett (2006–2011) Colin Lane (2011–2013)	2005	12 December 2013
Italy	La prova del cuoco [it]	Rai 1	Antonella Clerici (2000–2008; 2010–2018) Elisa Isoardi (2008–2010; 2018–2020)	2 October 2000	26 June 2020
Germany	Kochduell [de]	VOX	Britta von Lojewski	September 1997	27 August 2005
Greece	Στην κουζίνα ολοταχώς Stin kouzina olotahos	Mega Channel	Ilias Mamalakis	2000	2004
	Ready, Steady, Cook	Alpha TV	Akis Petretzikis	8 May 2017	10 July 2017
Finland	Kokkisota [fi]	MTV3	Sikke Sumari	25 February 1999 18 January 2017	13 May 2004 present
New Zealand	Woolworth's Ready Steady Cook	TV3 (1998) TVNZ (1999, 2005)	Kerre Woodham (1998–1999) Clayton Carrick-Leslie (2005)	1998 2005	1999 2005
Poland	SmaczneGO! [pl] Gotowi do Gotowania. Start!	TVP 2	Olga Bończyk (2007–2008) Marzena Rogalska (2019–)	10 March 2007 9 September 2019	24 May 2008 present
United States	Ready... Set... Cook!	Food Network	Robin Young (1995–1996) Sissy Biggers (1996–2000) Ainsley Harriott (2000–2001)	2 October 1995	1 January 2001