I'm not critic-proof, and I still take it personally, but I take it less personally now.

Kitchens are hard environments and they form incredibly strong characters.

Can you imagine the headlines if I gave someone food poisoning? They'd hang me off Tower Bridge by my ballbag!

I think pressure's healthy, and very few can handle it.

There's a side to reality TV that is part education, as well. I've seen that since doing "MasterChef Junior," in terms of the effect it has on the confidence given these young kids from 8 to 13, a quality life skill. Even if they never pursue cooking as a job or a career, just learning how to cook for yourself sets you up in a good place.

Eating out doesn't have to be a formula. Eating out is about having fun. I get really frustrated when it's badly done.

There's nothing new. I think that's the weird thing for me. Over the last couple of months, the keep-fit shows, and then at the end of it you get to lose weight and one of you is going to win a million dollars - that's not real. In many ways, even 10 years ago that wouldn't have worked.