A PRESTON weightwatcher, who is fanatical about food, has been cooking up a storm on television as part of the hit BBC show Ready Steady Cook.

Sheila Jones, of Fairways, Fulwood, and her friend Pauline Boulton, beat off 500 cookery hopefuls to win a place on the race-against-time culinary show hosted by top chef Ainsley Harriett.

The popular daytime television show challenges people to dish up a tasty treat, with the help of two guest chefs, Anthony Worrall-Thompson from BBC 2's Food and Drink show and celebrity chef Brian Turner, using ingredients they have bought for a fiver.

Former catering manager Sheila, who was in the Red Tomatoes corner, took a turkey breast, a red pepper, an onion, kidney beans, cream cheese and a baking apple.

And she was amazed with the end result. "My final dish was a Turkey Kiev stuffed with cream cheese, with potato and coriander soup, an omelette made with kidney beans and a fancy baked apple. Delicious," said Sheila, who is a Weight Watchers leader at Penwortham St Mary's Church Hall in Cop Lane.

"We loved it. It was my first time on television, but I wasn't a bit nervous. I love food, having always worked with it until becoming a Weight Watchers leader.

"Ainsley was fantastic, he made us feel very much at ease, he seemed very down to earth which made us comfortable. He is my favourite chef, although I quite like Delia Smith. I'm not a Jamie Oliver fan because he's a bit young.

"We were treated like stars -- we had a lady to iron our outfits and another lady to do our make-up. Even our travel was paid for."

Pauline, who was in the Green Peppers team, added: "We were treated like the celebrity stars we appeared with. Brian Turner was so supportive and Ainsley was fabulous."

Although the programme has already been filmed it will not be broadcast until Monday, January 7, next year. Sheila said: "I can't wait to watch it, I didn't get a chance to notice much of what was going on because I was so busy working and had my head down all the time."

kbeaumon@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk