Ed Balls is crowned the WINNER of Celebrity Best Home Cook: Politician dedicates victory to his dementia-stricken mother Carolyn after beating Tom Read Wilson in tense final
- The former shadow chancellor, 53, was crowned the series champion after Wednesday’s final
- Ed beat out fellow finalists Rachel Johnson and Tom Read Wilson to be named winner and was awarded the Golden Spoon
- The politician dedicated the victory to his mum Carolyn, who has dementia, saying he learned many recipes from her as a child
- Celebrity Best Home Cook saw a slew of stars tasked with impressing Mary Berry, chef Angela Hartnett and Chris Bavin with their kitchen skills
Ed Balls has been crowned the first ever winner of Celebrity Best Home Cook, after beating out Rachel Johnson and Tom Read Wilson in Wednesday’s final.
The former shadow chancellor, 53, dedicated his win to his mother Carolyn, who has dementia, after learning many of his winning recipes from her as a child.
Celebrity Best Home Cook saw a slew of famous faces tasked with impressing Dame Mary Berry, leading chef Angela Hartnett and produce expert Chris Bavin with their kitchen exploits.
Champion! Ed Balls has been crowned the winner of Celebrity Best Home Cook, after beating out Rachel Johnson and Tom Read Wilson in Wednesday’s final
Speaking after the win, Ed said it was ‘actually quite nice to win something for a change’.
He added: ‘I have not done that for a long time. It was important to me in that final. It had been very competitive.
‘Tom and Rachel are both great cooks but I was thinking of my mum and her teaching me to cook all those years ago.
‘She might recognise me on the TV now – she has dementia – but she will probably be watching and I would like to believe that she would be proud that the recipes that she taught her son are now not only popular in our family but actually winning a BBC show as well. That was a nice moment.’
Moving: The former shadow chancellor dedicated his win to his mother Carolyn, who has dementia, after learning many of his winning recipes from her as a child
During the ‘rustle-up challenge’ from Bavin, in which the contestants had to prepare a butternut squash dish, Ed made a Thai butternut squash and courgette curry with a side salad and rice.
Rachel was then eliminated following Angela’s challenge, which saw her and Tom tasked with making a croquembouche, a complex pastry tower, from scratch.
Ed then went head to head with Tom in the final, where Mary asked them to create an ‘ultimate picnic’ for the judging panel.
The finalists were told to make four items, including one sweet, one meat, one plant-based and one fish.
Tom created mini salmon and asparagus quiches, chicken liver pate with gruyere cheese scones, and mini chocolate orange cakes.
Winner! Speaking after the victory, Ed said: ‘Tom and Rachel are both great cooks but I was thinking of my mum and her teaching me to cook all those years ago’
But Ed won out with a crab and samphire tart inspired by his Norfolk upbringing, herby lamb cutlets, chargrilled broccoli and asparagus, and a banana bread with cream cheese frosting.
The former Strictly Come Dancing star added that his mother had been his ‘culinary inspiration’ throughout the series.
‘She taught me to cook when I was really young and then I have been cooking ever since,’ he said.
‘I go back all the time to her recipes, her lasagne, her shepherd’s pie, her gravy.
‘As I have got older I have tried new things, different recipes from around the world, but the most special ones are the ones that my mum taught me.’
Sweet: The former Strictly Come Dancing star added that his mother had been his ‘culinary inspiration’ throughout the series
He added: ‘I hope that deep within her she will see some of those recipes and be proud of her son.’
In 2016 Balls appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and was a hit with viewers when he partnered with Katya Jones, but joked that experience was still less terrifying than appeared on Celebrity Best Home Cook.
‘Mary Berry is much more formidable than the Strictly judges, more formidable than Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. She is the best, she is an expert, she is very tough,’ he said.
Other contestants who appeared on the show included reality TV star Ferne McCann, Years And Years actress Ruth Madeley, Doctor Who’s Shobna Gulati, and CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual.
Star-studded: Celebrity Best Home Cook saw a slew of famous faces tasked with impressing Dame Mary Berry, Angela Hartnett and Chris Bavin with their kitchen exploits
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