Jamie Oliver has dubbed Donal Skehan a "brilliant young cook". He is the author of five cookbooks and has amassed more than 2.5 million fans on YouTube, and now the up-and-coming Irish chef has been snapped up by the UK-based Food Network as a TV presenter.Donal, 28, just made his debut on the small screen with his new series Follow Donal, which sees him travel the world in search of good food. The happy chap kicked off his adventures in Vietnam, meet locals from the capital of Hanoi and learning their signature dishes.
The former pop star from Dublin – whose band had two Irish number ones and even supported the Pussycat Dolls – is a self-taught cook. He began his career as a food blogger, before posting cookery videos on video-sharing site YouTube and being discovered by Jamie. He was quickly added to the star's FoodTube video series and has gone from strength to strength.
While passionate about cooking, Donal says his new series is "not just me standing behind a cooker".
Like Jamie, Donal is very down to earth when it comes to the kitchen. When he's cooking for himself, he says: "I might do a leftover fried rice or stir fry," he reveals. "When you're cooking for one, that's when you can add in everything your other half doesn't like. "Sofie, my partner, is allergic to nuts so if I'm eating alone, that's when I crack out the pesto pasta."
