MY 10 SECONDS OF FAME!

Sally Parry, 51, went on Come Dine With Me and became one of their most memorable contestants

Sweating it out on the cross-trainer at my local gym, the only thing that made it more bearable was watching my favorite TV show, Come to Dine With Me, on the tiny screen attached to the machine.

Wiping sweat from my brow, I chuckled to myself as the presenter and narrator, Dave Lamb, poked fun at the contestants.

“You should apply to take part,' my personal trainer laughed.

Maybe she was right - I'd always loved cooking and was a real foodie. Working in pub kitchens when I was younger had sparked my interest and when I married my husband in May 1996, I really enjoyed spoiling him with his favorite roast dinners or a juicy steak if he was lucky.

In October 2012, I sent in my application to C4’s Come Dine With Me but assumed I’d never hear back from them.

A week later, while my husband and I were on holiday in Turkey, my mobile phone rang.