Food News, with Deborah Yewdall

TV SUPERCHEF Gary Rhodes is tone deaf - which is just as well for his fans because he might once have traded his chopping board for a microphone.

"I am a frustrated pop star," admits the spiky-haired, fast-talking chef.

"But the only drawback is I can't sing a note."

Fortunately, he hasn't had to rely on his musical abilities and is now topping the culinary charts instead.

While he may not have had what it takes to be a pop star, his inimitable brand of cooking is definitely more rock 'n' roll than Mrs Beeton.

And with a string of hit TV series and books under his belt, he is recognised as one of the driving forces behind the new wave of interest in British cuisine.

Now Gary, 36, plans to share the secrets of his success when he brings his live roadshow to Blackburn next month.

The self-confessed motormouth say he is looking forward as much to having a chat with the audience as he is to demonstrating his cooking skills. "The show will be as much about chatting and having a laugh as it is about cooking," he told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. "I know I can be over the top sometimes but it isn't acting.

"Sometimes you can't shut me up.

"I would love to get on stage and perform in a band but because I can't sing I perform when I am cooking."

His roadshow is the first of its kind to be staged and will feature a state-of-the-art kitchen and a specially-designed audio-visual system to allow members of the audience to see him close-up - as if they were in there with him.

But Gary is keeping the rest of the show's secrets under his chef's hat.

"There will be plenty of surprises," he promised. "During the first half I will tell a few stories and do some cooking.

"I might even treat the audience to some of my jokes but I won't promise they will be very funny."

Gary will be laughing at himself when he shows a video of some of the out-takes from his last series, Rhodes Around Britain. "There were plenty of mistakes to choose from," he admitted.

The audience can get the answers to all their culinary queries during a question time, which will be followed by some more cooking.

"Then, just when you think it is all over - it won't be . . . but that's all I'm saying," he added.

The show comes hot on the heels of the opening of Gary's new restaurant, City Rhodes, in London.

He is hoping it will earn him his third Michelin Star.

"Even though I have had two Michelin stars already I really hope to get the third because it is a sign of professional recognition.

"It has been a lot of hard work and to get recognised by your fellow professionals is a really good feeling.

"But at the end of the day what really matters to me is cooking.

"I can spend all day in the kitchen at the restaurant but I still want to cook when I get home.

"That is why I am looking forward to the roadshow so much, because I get to share my passion with thousands of people around the country.

"It is a nerve-racking thought but I can't wait."

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