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 was a super fun cooking game show on BBC TV! It first aired on October 24, 1994. The original show ran until February 2, 2010.

The first host was Fern Britton, who presented the show from 1994 to 2000. Then, the famous celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott took over as host. When Ainsley started in August 2000, the show became longer, going from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

In 2019, the BBC announced that Ready Steady Cook would come back! Rylan Clark-Neal became the new host for the revived series in 2020. The show aired on BBC One. The revived series ended in 2021 after two new seasons.

How the Game Works

Cooking with Mystery Ingredients

In each episode, two people from the audience brought a bag of ingredients. These ingredients usually cost around £5. The show also provided basic items like bread, milk, and eggs.

The two teams were called "red tomato" and "green pepper." Later, they were known as "red kitchen" and "green kitchen." But the tomato and pepper symbols were still on their aprons!

Sometimes, the budget for ingredients changed. A "Bistro Bag" allowed ingredients up to £7.50. A "Gourmet Bag" could have items worth up to £10. There was even a "Budget Bag" for just £3.50.

Another fun twist was the "Lucky Dip Bag." This bag had ten items. The chef would pick five items without looking. Halfway through cooking, they picked a sixth item. This extra item could either help or make things harder! Chefs never knew what ingredients they would get beforehand.

The Main Cooking Challenge

The chefs had 20 minutes to make several dishes using the mystery ingredients. The contestants and the host helped them. While the contestants tasted the food, the host asked the chef about their creations.

The studio audience decided who won! They used to hold up cards with a red tomato or a green pepper. In newer episodes, they pressed a button on their seat. The winning chef received £100. If a celebrity won, they usually gave the money to charity. Later, the winner received a special plate instead of money. The runner-up used to get a gift hamper with cooking items. Later, they received a Ready Steady Cook mug.

Different Ways to Play

• Classic Bag: This was the original way. Contestants brought ingredients costing up to £5.
• Budget Bag: Similar to the classic, but ingredients could only cost up to £3.50.
• Bistro Bag: Ingredients could be worth up to £7.50.
• Gourmet Bag: This bag allowed for ingredients up to £10.
• Doubling Up Bag: Both contestants brought the exact same ingredients. A coin toss or a special die decided which chef picked first. The other chef had to make something different.
• Forfeit Bag: Chefs picked a card with a "forfeit." This meant they couldn't use a certain ingredient. For example, "No Fresh Herbs" or "No Spices."
• Gamble Bag: Chefs saw three mystery ingredients. They could swap one of their own ingredients for a mystery one. Once they swapped, they couldn't change their mind!
• Lucky Dip: Chefs picked five items randomly from ten. After 10 minutes, they picked a sixth item. This could be a helpful or tricky surprise!

Celebrity Ready Steady Cook

There was also a special version called Celebrity Ready Steady Cook. In this show, famous people cooked! They often competed against a family member or friend. They also had a £5 budget for their ingredients. Later, only celebrities appeared on the show.

Many famous people appeared, including David Tennant, Kate Winslet, James May, Richard Hammond, and Cliff Richard.

Amazing Chefs Who Appeared

Many talented chefs cooked on the original Ready Steady Cook! Here are some of them:

The Show Returns! (Revived Series)

In September 2019, the BBC announced that Ready Steady Cook would be back! The new series started in March 2020.

Rylan Clark-Neal hosted the revived show. New chefs joined him, including Ellis Barrie, Romy Gill, Anna Haugh, Akis Petretzikis, and Mike Reid.

The new Ready Steady Cook focused on being eco-friendly! They used glass instead of plastic and had a recycling program. They also donated leftover food to local food banks. They tried to use local, seasonal ingredients and Fair Trade items.

The second series of the revived show aired in March 2021. Rylan Clark-Neal returned as host. Jeremy Pang joined the chef team, replacing Mike Reid. For these episodes, the chefs themselves decided the winner. This was because the show was filmed without a live audience during the pandemic.