"I'm Not Exactly A Dab Hand In The Kitchen!"

As she returns to TV on Celebrity MasterChef, Lesley Joseph chats about disastrous cooking skills and a rumoured reunion

- KIRSTY NUTKINS

Lesley Joseph has never been one to shy away from a challenge. The actress, who is best known for playing snobbish but endearing man-eater Dorien Green in Birds of a Feather, was the oldest contestant ever to take part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, aged 70, and last year she threw caution to the wind to join her pal and Birds co-star Linda Robson to learn how to parasail, paddle board and go-kart for Celebrity Road Trip.

However, it seems Lesley may have bitten off more than she can chew with her latest project. This week, she takes part in Celebrity MasterChef - where she'll square up against Clarke Peters, Richard Blackwood, Jimmy Bullard and Kirsty Gallacher in her heat - but she confesses that she's not the world's greatest cook.

"Anyone who saw my disastrous episode of Come Dine With Me many years ago will know that I'm not exactly a dab hand in the kitchen," laughs Lesley, who turns 77 in October. "I think it was the second most watched episode of all time, just because everything went wrong. The cat walked over my potatoes, I didn't switch the oven on properly so my lamb was raw, and my 'pineapple surprise' dessert became a fruit salad, because I somehow managed to throw away the pineapple filling. It was a nightmare."

This was 13 years ago now, so surely her culinary skills have improved a little? Lesley isn't convinced...

"I can do some things very well and some things very badly. At home, I'm a social cook - I'll chat to my friends and family while I'm doing it, with a glass of wine in hand.