Ainsley Harriott

Last updated

Ainsley Harriott

MBE
Ainsley Harriott.jpg
Harriott in 2007
Born
Ainsley Denzil Dubriel Harriott

(1957-02-28) 28 February 1957 (age 66) [1]
Paddington, London, England
Education Westminster Kingsway College
Occupation(s)Chef, television presenter, entertainer
Years active1988–present
Spouse
Clare Fellows
​
​
(m. 1989;sep. 2012)​
Children2
Parents
Harriott's voice
recorded January 2017
Website www.ainsley-harriott.com

Ainsley Denzil Dubriel Harriott [2] MBE (born 28 February 1957) is an English chef and television presenter. He is known for his BBC cooking game shows Can't Cook, Won't Cook and Ready Steady Cook .

Contents

Early life

Harriott was born in Paddington, London, to Peppy (née Strudwick) and pianist and singer, Chester Leroy Harriott (1933–2013). [3] He has Jamaican heritage. Harriott attended Wandsworth Comprehensive School [4] [5] then trained at Westminster Kingsway College (formerly Westminster Technical College), [6] and obtained an apprenticeship at Verrey's restaurant in London's West End, later working as a commis chef. [7]

Career

Harriott's talents lie in comedy and singing as well as cooking. He formed the Calypso Twins with school friend Paul Boross, releasing a hit record in the early 1990s, "World Party". The Calypso Twins were regular performers at the Comedy Store and Jongleurs; they also performed in America and on TV and radio shows. Harriott became head chef at the Long Room of Lord's Cricket Ground. He was asked to present More Nosh, Less Dosh on BBC Radio 5 Live, [8] and also has appeared as an extra in Hale and Pace. [9]

Television work

Harriott on the set of Ready Steady Cook, August 2004 Readysteadycookuk2004.jpg
Harriott on the set of Ready Steady Cook , August 2004

Harriott became the resident chef on Good Morning with Anne and Nick and later the main presenter of Can't Cook, Won't Cook and originally a chef on Ready Steady Cook before he went on to host it in 2000, both shows involving members of the public. He has presented more straightforward how-to-cook programmes such as Ainsley's Barbecue Bible, Ainsley's Meals in Minutes, Ainsley's Big Cook Out and Ainsley's Gourmet Express.

Harriott played the part of a GELF chief in the sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf in 1993. In 1998, for the show's 10th anniversary, Harriott presented a special edition of Can't Cook, Won't Cook called Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg with the cast of the show cooking a meal while remaining in character.

In 2000, Harriott made his debut on US television with The Ainsley Harriott Show, syndicated by Buena Vista Television, which ran for more than 100 episodes. Following this he went on to host Ready.. Set... Cook! , the US version of Ready Steady Cook . Ainsley was guest chef on Something for the Weekend on 10 May 2009 and 21 February 2010 alongside guests JLS. In February 2010, Harriott joined the morning show GMTV with Lorraine featuring cookery recipes. From 2002 until 2007, Harriott appeared in TV adverts for Fairy Liquid.

In September 2008, Harriott took part in the genealogy documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? . Harriott knew that his great-grandfather Ebenezer Harriott was in the colonial West India Regiment, and had assumed that they were descended from slaves. In Barbados, he confirmed that his great-grandfather had a distinguished military career, and learnt that he had fought on the side of the British in the Hut Tax War of 1898 – an increasingly violent series of protests against systems of taxation in Sierra Leone. Although Harriott had assumed that his great-great-grandfather, James Gordon Harriott, was a black slave, he was revealed to be the descendant of a long line of white slaveowners. [10]

Harriott appeared in the final My Family Christmas special in 2010 "Mary Christmas". On 11 August 2015, he was announced as the second contestant of the thirteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing . [11] On 5 September 2015 it was revealed Harriott was paired with professional dancer Natalie Lowe for the thirteenth series. [12] He was the fourth contestant to be voted off and finished twelfth. [13]

Harriott was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts. [2]

Writing

Harriott at the Taste of London, June 2010 Ainsleytaste.jpg
Harriott at the Taste of London, June 2010

Harriott is a best-selling author, publishing twelve books as well as numerous others in conjunction with his television shows. Including foreign-language translations, he has sold over 2 million books worldwide. [14]

Other work

Harriott was the President of the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) 2004–05 [15] and presented their awards ceremony that year. He markets his own range of food, including couscous, risotto, soups and cereal bars.

Harriott played the role of the Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show at the New Theatre, Cardiff in March 2010, at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley [16] in October 2010, and again at the Richmond Theatre in November 2010.

He made a guest appearance in the BBC radio comedy series Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off as himself in 2006.

In 2022 Harriot, along with others including the DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles, helped to save his sister Jacqueline from drowning after she fell into a water feature at the Chelsea Flower Show. [17]

In December 2023 Harriot won the Christmas special of The Masked Singer as Partridge (in a Pear Tree). [18]

Personal life

Harriott married former costume designer Clare Fellows, the youngest sister of comedian and actor Graham Fellows. They have two children. In November 2012, the couple were reported to have separated and they remain on good terms. [19]

Harriott is a supporter of Arsenal F.C. [20]

Filmography

Year(s)TitleRole
1988 Hale & Pace Extra
1990–1991 Davro Extra
1992–1996 Good Morning with Anne and Nick Resident chef
1993 Red Dwarf GELF Chief
1994–2010 Ready Steady Cook Chef / presenter
1995–2000 Can't Cook, Won't Cook Presenter
1997Ainsley's Barbecue BiblePresenter
1998Ainsley's Meals in MinutesPresenter
1999Ainsley's Big Cook OutPresenter
2000–2001Gourmet ExpressPresenter
2000–2001 Ready.. Set... Cook! Presenter
2000The Ainsley Harriott ShowPresenter
2003The Mark Steel LecturesRobert Boyle
2005–2007 City Hospital Presenter
2010, 2017 Lorraine Guest chef
2013Great British Food RevivalPresenter
2014Ainsley Eats the StreetsPresenter
2015Ainsley Harriott's Street FoodPresenter
Strictly Come Dancing Contestant; 12th place
Len and Ainsley's Big Food AdventurePresenter, with Len Goodman
2016The Best Dishes EverNarrator
2018Costa Del CelebrityMain role
2018–presentMy World KitchenNarrator
2019Ainsley's Caribbean KitchenPresenter
Ainsley's Market MenuPresenter
2020Ainsley’s Mediterranean CookbookPresenter
Ainsley's Food We LovePresenter
Ainsley's Festive Food We Love [21] Presenter
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel [22] Himself
2021, 2022Ainsley's Good Mood Food [23] Presenter
2021Ainsley’s Christmas Good Mood Food [24] Presenter
2022Best of British By the SeaCo-presenter, with Grace Dent [25]
Ainsley's World Cup FlavoursPresenter [26]
2023Ainsley's Fantastic FlavoursPresenter [27]
Ainsley's Coronation KitchenPresenter [28]
The Masked Singer Contestant / Partridge (in a Pear Tree) [29]
2024Ainsley's Taste of MaltaPresenter [30]

Bibliography

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References

  1. ↑ "Ainsley Harriott age, wife Claire Fellows, children and net worth". Metro. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N18.
  3. ↑ Van Wilmer, "Chester Harriott obituary", The Guardian, 15 July 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Old Wandsworthians Memorial Trust". Old Wandsworthians Memorial Trust.
  5. ↑ "My schooldays". The Scotsman. 8 October 2003. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  6. ↑ "The Vincent Rooms at Westminster Kingsway College". Archived from the original on 20 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "Ainsley Harriott MBE". www.nmplive.co.uk.
  8. ↑ BBC Good Food: Ainsley Harriott Archived 28 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine bbcgoodfood.com
  9. ↑ "Ainsley Harriott". IMDb.
  10. ↑ "BBC - Who Do You Think You Are? - Past Stories - Ainsley Harriott". bbc.co.uk.
  11. ↑ Emma Daly and Ellie Walker-Arnott. "Ainsley Harriott confirmed as contestant on Strictly Come Dancing 2015". RadioTimes.
  12. ↑ "Daniel is hoping for Strictly six-pack". RTÉ Ten. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  13. ↑ "Daily Mirror". Daily Mirror . 25 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "About Ainsley". Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.
  15. ↑ "TRIC Past Presidents". Archived from the original on 17 October 2014.
  16. ↑ Bromley Times: A star for B movie stage fright delight [ permanent dead link ] bromleytimes.co.uk
  17. ↑ "Ainsley Harriott 'saves sister from drowning' at Chelsea Flower Show". The Independent. 23 May 2022.
  18. ↑ "The Masked Singer champion wins another Christmas battle". metro.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "Ainsley Harriott Separates From Wife Clare Fellows After 23 Years". The Huffington Post UK. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  20. ↑ Varney, Alex (19 February 2013). "Ainsley Harriott joins the Breakfast boys in the studio". Talksport.
  21. ↑ "James Martin and Ainsley Harriot return to ITV for Christmas". 19 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Michael McIntyre's The Wheel, Series 1, Christmas Special". BBC Online . Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  23. ↑ "Ainsley's Good Mood Food". foodnetwork.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  24. ↑ "Ainsley's Christmas Good Mood Food". itv.com. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  25. ↑ "Best of British By the Sea". channel4.com. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  26. ↑ "Ainsley's World Cup Flavours". itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  27. ↑ "Ainsley's Fantastic Flavours". ainsley-harriott.com. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  28. ↑ "Ainsley's Coronation Kitchen". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  29. ↑ "The Masked Singer Christmas special won by Partridge (In A Pear Tree)". uk.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  30. ↑ "Ainsley's Taste of Malta". itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
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