Matt Tebbutt found himself in an uncomfortable moment on BBC's Saturday Kitchen after an unexpected admission from guest Alfie Boe left both the host and chef Bryn Williams scrambling to recover.
The 51-year-old presenter was joined by the celebrated singer, alongside Welsh chef Bryn, who was set to showcase a classic dish from his homeland. The menu featured pink lamb cutlets with a tomato, onion, and courgette ratatouille — a dish that, unbeknownst to the chef, included an ingredient that Alfie wasn't particularly fond of.
An unexpected food confession
© BBCAs is tradition on the show, guests are asked to reveal their food 'heaven' and 'hell' before the meal is served. While Alfie enthusiastically spoke about his love of Italian cuisine, he was quick to clarify which ingredients he simply couldn't tolerate.
"My hell is aubergines," he admitted. "I've tried parmigiana, and I just think they're so mushy — unless you dry them out properly, they're just so mushy."
However, it was what he said next that caused a stir. "Courgette as well," he added, before quickly realising his mistake. Looking across at Bryn, he winced: "Sorry about the ratatouille."
The awkward moment was clear, with Matt turning to the chef and quipping: "Didn't get that memo, did we?" Bryn, equally surprised, simply replied: "No, we didn't!"
The meal must go on
© BBCWith the dish already in progress, there was no turning back. Bryn carried on with the preparation, determined to win Alfie over despite the unexpected challenge.
Once plated up, Alfie took a cautious bite. To everyone's relief, the Les Misérables star appeared pleasantly surprised. "Amazing, wonderful—you've won me over on the courgettes, actually," he admitted, bringing an end to the awkward exchange.
Another on-air blunder
© BBCThe episode wasn't without further mishaps. Later in the programme, Matt took centre stage to prepare a dish in honour of Rick Stein, whose Montpellier Butter recipe was being recreated.
Instead of salmon, Matt opted to use hake, a fish known for its delicate texture — but also its bones. As Alfie took a bite, he immediately pulled back, prompting Matt to ask: "Did you just take a mouthful of bones?"
© BBCAlfie nodded, smiling through the minor inconvenience, as Matt quickly apologised: "Sorry about that, I should have said — be careful, there are bones in that."
With his usual good humour, Alfie shrugged it off, laughing: "That's okay, I only have to sing with the choir at the end."
Despite the hiccups, Saturday Kitchen delivered another entertaining episode, proving that even the best-laid plans can go off course.
Saturday Kitchen airs Saturdays at 10am on BBC One.
