Come Dine With Me -- My Newest Guilty Pleasure

I have recently begun to binge watch the UK food show Come Dine with Me on Youtube. I’ve known about this show for some time, but for some reason, I have become hooked on it now. I can’t seem to satiate my obsession and I devour episode after episode.

For those who may be unfamiliar, Come Dine With Me is a competition show. The general premise is: four strangers spend four nights together and each night one of the contestants plays host, serving up a three-course dinner. The other dinner guests judge the host on a scale of 1-10 and the winner of the competition wins £1000. Simple, straightforward, and hilarious! There have been spin-offs of the program , and each version has their own variations (Couples Come Dine With Me, Celebrity Come Dine With Me, etc…) and other countries have also adopted their own version of Come Dine With Me.

Step 1: Prepare your meal

Step 2: Charm your guests

Step 3: Judge your host

and see how you measure up against the competition

Step 4: Win the  £1000

I enjoy food and cooking, so this show initially piqued my interest for those reasons. After watching several episodes, my interest in the food became slightly overshadowed by my obsession with the narrator of the program. I don’t know who he is, but he is brilliant. During the show, contestants will talk to the camera, but the narrator’s voiceovers, mostly in response to what people are saying is just sooo hilarious. To quote one of my favorite British comedians, Russell Howard, who also loves Come Dine With Me: “the narrator has the easiest job on telly. All he has to do is watch people eat and then rip the piss out of them!” It’s soooo true!!! (Click here to watch the full joke. )

Narrator aside, seeing the kinds of menus that people cook is truly fascinating. I’ve been introduced to an array of dishes that I am now eager to try on my own, but more than the food, it’s really interesting to hear the dinner guests’ feedback about the food. Some people are just downright obnoxious or mean spirited, but some people do have really interesting constructive criticisms regarding flavor profiles, cooking techniques, and even thoughts on the balance of ingredients (ex: too much veg or too stodgy or meat was too heavy, etc…). As a food nerd, I enjoy hearing all of this.

I will admit, listening to people talk about their cooking is also quite funny. Clearly, they want to sound like they are Gordon Ramsay or Nigella Lawson, but they aren’t --- sorry guys! Some people just sound so ridiculous when they try to explain the sophisticated techniques used to “reduce a jus” or how to properly cook a steak. I hope I don’t sound like that when I cook…. How pretentious!

Of course, the interaction between diners is also incredibly priceless. Some of the diners get on with each other, whilst others….not so much. I can’t even begin to relay to you the variety of dinner conversations. I always wonder how these contestants are selected and if the show’s creators sit in a room and purposefully search for a combination that will fight and exude drama. What am I talking about?! This is television --- of course that’s what they are doing! I give the casting team of Come Dine With Me props for their groupings.

I am consistently amazed by the fact that there always seems to be at least one incredibly bitchy or hard to please diner. Whether it’s their personality and/or their “gourmet palate,” there is usually at least one person that you just can’t stand. High strung women are more entertaining than the men because of their catty remarks. Women are notorious for being passive aggressive --- and as a woman, I can say that! There are so many moments on this show where a female diner will make a snarky comment and all I can think is “Meow! The claws are coming out!”

One of the best snarky contestants I have seen was Heather. I watched her episode a few weeks ago. The episode was set in Basingstoke, and my goodness it was memorable. The setup of that episode was 2 men and 2 women. I will admit that the young girl on this episode was annoying, but Heather was so mean and irrational, it was shocking. At the end of the episode, it is the duty of the final host to reveal the final results and Heather was the final host. As she began to read the results scroll, she learned that she had come in fourth place. Losing sucks, I understand that. No one wants to lose, however, one must lose gracefully and with dignity. Clearly, Heather did not get this message. She has a complete meltdown, accused the other contestants of conspiring together and purposefully placing her last, she violently criticized the food of the other contestants, and stormed out of the room, refusing the finish the task at hand! I was just as speechless as the other contestants. Eventually, Heather returned and revealed the final results, but she did this three days later! My goodness! Now that's good television! :D

Heather having a meltdown

Watching Come Dine With Me has also had me thinking about dinner parties my parents have thrown. My apartment is far too small so I have only held a handful of dinner parties, but at home, my family throws a fair amount of parties. Come Dine With Me has me thinking: how have we been as hosts? How has the food been? Did everyone really like it or are they complaining behind our backs? I may sound paranoid, but I think these are important questions to ask.

I have also begun to mentally plan my own three-course dinner, in case I ever find myself on Come Dine With Me. The problem is, everyday my menu changes! Oh dear….

Well, I must stop writing now…Come Dine With Me calls my name….