Once I'd gotten over the shock of realising I was one of the contestants on BBQ Champ, I was convinced I'd somehow scraped through and would be outclassed during the first challenge. Thankfully, that wasn't the case and I grew in confidence the more I settled into the surroundings.
The whole period of being away from home, being filmed and then being judged was very intense. This wasn't just some BBQ for mates - our food was going to be critiqued in front of the whole country. If it wasn't for the camaraderie between fellow contestants and crew (both on and off-screen) it would have been a far less enjoyable experience for me.
Days started early, Simon (BBQ Champ Winner) and I would enjoy a weary eyed breakfast together before everyone assembled and getting the minibus to location.
First I'd report to make-up (yes, even the men wore make-up, although I was told it was only to make us less shiny!), I'd then trudge along to wardrobe to find out which checked shirt I was wearing that day! Once everything was all signed off and everyone was ready, filming would begin and time to put on my game face.
Coming up with recipes was the hardest thing about the whole experience. We didn't have weeks of notice of what every challenge would be to prepare a recipe.
My experience on ITV's BBQ Champ
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By Duncan Meyers
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