Two Fat Ladies facts for kids

Two Fat Ladies was a popular British cooking TV show. It starred two amazing cooks, Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson. The show aired for four years, from 1996 to 1999. It had 24 episodes in total. The BBC produced the series in the United Kingdom. After its first run, the show was shown again many times. It was popular on channels like Food Network in the US. It also aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In the UK, the satellite channel Good Food often showed repeats.

About the Cooking Show

Clarissa Dickson Wright in 2011

The show followed Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson. They traveled all over the United Kingdom. For one episode, they even went to Ireland. A special Christmas episode took them to Jamaica. Jennifer Paterson drove a cool Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle. Clarissa Dickson Wright rode in its special "doublewide" sidecar. The motorcycle's license plate, N88 TFL, was a fun nod to the show's name. "Two Fat Ladies" is a British bingo call for the number 88.

They visited many different places to cook. These included an army base and an all-girls' school. They often made big meals with interesting ingredients. Jennifer's uncle was a special helper to a Cardinal. Because of this, one episode was filmed at Westminster Cathedral. Another episode was filmed at an Irish convent.

While at Westminster Cathedral, Jennifer cooked a unique dish. It was called Peaches Cardinal Hume. Clarissa also showed how to make bubble and squeak. She used lard, a type of fat, for this recipe. She said it was the only way to make it perfectly. Another recipe, buttered spatchcock, used lots of butter. Some people thought their recipes were unhealthy. However, the show's creators said the ladies were "cooks, not chefs." They loved using traditional, rich ingredients. These included clotted cream, lard, and fatty meats. They were not trying to be trendy.

The Catchy Theme Song

Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright sang their own theme song. A composer named Pete Baikie wrote it. Jennifer often sang during the show. Once, she introduced a dessert called apple pan dowdy with a song. She loved cooking in grand places, like Lennoxlove House in Scotland.

Remembering Clarissa and Jennifer

Jennifer Paterson sadly passed away on August 10, 1999. She was 71 years old. Clarissa Dickson Wright shared a touching story. The day before Jennifer died, she asked for caviar. Clarissa brought it, but Jennifer had already passed. Clarissa ate the caviar to honor her friend. Clarissa Dickson Wright died later, on March 15, 2014. She was 66.

The Cookbooks

"The Two Fat Ladies" also released four cookbooks. Each book went along with one of their TV series. The books were: Two Fat Ladies: Gastronomic Adventures (with Motorbike and Sidecar), The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again, The Two Fat Ladies: Full Throttle, and Two Fat Ladies Obsessions.

DVD Release

You can watch "The Two Fat Ladies" on DVD. A DVD set was released in the United States in 2008. This set included all 24 episodes on four discs. It also had a 40-minute BBC special about Jennifer. Plus, it had biographies of the stars. A small booklet with "six yummo recipes" was also included. The show had already been released on DVD in Britain.

Series Overview

• Series 1: October 9, 1996 to November 13, 1996 (6 Episodes)
• Series 2: September 29, 1997 to December 24, 1997 (7 Episodes)
• Series 3: September 2, 1998 to December 22, 1998 (7 Episodes)
• Series 4: September 7, 1999 to September 28, 1999 (4 Episodes)

Production of Series 4 ended early. This was because Jennifer Paterson passed away. She died shortly after the fourth and final episode of Series 4 was completed.