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Jack Monroe and Matt Tebbutt BBC Kitchen Live

358 replies

CobyKnobe · 08/04/2020 14:30

Starts on monday, I don't want to say anything about Jacks personality and get the thread deleted but I'm going to be interested to see how it goes. Jamie's show has been great even now he's just filming on his phone and I've picked up lots of tips - like the roasting of veg then blending to make a pasta sauce. After all of Jacks deleted tweets she's set the bar very high for herself and I'm hoping she does smash it

OP posts:
WotnoPasta · 14/04/2020 13:10

Why does it need to be live? Surely they could pre record her section.

I’m just glad she stopped using the title Dr like it meant something.

WickedlyPetite · 14/04/2020 13:12

It's a total car crash.

Considering Jack's girlfriend works doing something in TV, I'd have thought the home set-up would be much better. She has blamed the 'technical issues' on both days on everyone else in the house.

The other guests on the show seem to have managed just fine and have shown up how badly unprepared Jack is. She is a total fish out of water.

AwrightDoreenTakeAFuckinDayOff · 14/04/2020 13:14

Technical issues ma hoop Hmm

Nowt to do with that.

WickedlyPetite · 14/04/2020 13:27

The show is obviously partly scripted and the two "over to you, Jack" questions that were her chance to shine were - how to best utilise freezer space, and the uses of coconut milk.

We were treated to a monologue about her and her 3 freezers Hmm, and then told to how to water coconut milk down. No hints or tips, no ideas on which meals to actually use coconut milk in to enhance the recipe.

Then they went over to the other guest - Shivi - with the same questions, and she absolutely nailed it. The contrast, considering Jack is meant to the the regular/main guest chef, was astonishing.

Stellaris22 · 14/04/2020 13:28

Pre recording would definitely help, hopefully they can work with BBC to make it flow better. Considering the show uses old TV shows I don't get why it needs to be live.

But the show hasn't worked well since James Martin left.

FamilyOfAliens · 14/04/2020 13:35

I’m just glad she stopped using the title Dr like it meant something.

Have I missed something? Does she have a PhD?

JemimaTab · 14/04/2020 13:46

As I recall, JO’s career started when he was featured on someone’s documentary (I think the River Cafe, where he was working as a chef), in other words, he was spotted as a bit of a TV natural. He’s always seemed relaxed and confident when presenting. JM is not that, and she’s admitted before that she had anxiety about broadcasting, hence her preference for Twitter etc. over YouTube. Whether it is something that can be taught/learned remains to be seen, but I doubt it TBH.

JemimaTab · 14/04/2020 13:49

And yes it probably doesn’t really need to be live, but it’s a spin off of Saturday Kitchen, which is live, plus I guess that format kind of suits the times we find ourselves in. (I think live TV must be particularly difficult, and I’ve seen even quite seasoned presenters not really hack it.)

JemimaTab · 14/04/2020 13:54

Also, JM’s partner is VERY high up at C4 so you’d think she might have been able to advise on the tech.

Stellaris22 · 14/04/2020 13:55

There is definitely an aspect of being naturally able to present. DH quite happily does presentations and fronts workshops and courses without being fazed.

Whereas if I had to do a show or presentation I'd be an anxious mess, so I wonder if it can be learned through experience.

If they really are anxious and worried about presenting then fair play to Monroe to going out of their comfort zone. It didn't work but hopefully it's just teething issues.

WotnoPasta · 14/04/2020 14:05

@FamilyOfAliens no she got an honorary doctorate but started throwing it around in conversations, that it gave her some level of expertise.

PaulHollywoodsSexGut · 14/04/2020 14:11

I can't stand people who use Twitter to augment and commodify their sense of victimhood and to try to lose other people work. So I won't be watching on principle. She seems to have a horrible, charmless attitude, and I can't imagine she'd be pleasant to watch, anyway

THIS.

I find what Jack did so gobsmacking because whilst there was justification to take the high road would probably have boosted their popularity in the long run.

And that’s not me telling the little lady to pipe down, not at all, but it is trying to fathom how they wasted such an obvious opportunity to be seen as the “wronged party” and gently capitalising on the potential benefits of that - squealing and waaa-waaahing all over the internet AND waging online war against another chef won’t help the cause!

JemimaTab · 14/04/2020 14:16

I think the trouble is that it’s actually quite difficult to watch someone who’s clearly out of their comfort zone on TV (I find it difficult, it makes me a bit tense somehow). I would think that TV producers will always tend towards someone who can be relaxed on screen and also take any cock-ups in their stride. (James Martin was a good example of this when he did Saturday Kitchen, as there were a couple of kitchen mishaps and he wasn’t fazed by them and just carried on). There is so much competition out there, so many e.g. Youtube or TV cooks they could have chosen. And a Youtuber would at least be on top of the tech.
(Yes, the 3 freezers thing was a bit tone deaf as well.)

fluffiphlox · 14/04/2020 14:17

She seems to jump on any bandwagon going but is annoyed with someone apparently jumping on HER bandwagon. Someone should give her some advice about using social media.

AnnPerkins · 14/04/2020 14:34

I'm guessing Channel 4 wanted a tried and tested professional with proven appeal to their audience, who could be up and running at really short notice. And JO's got all that archive material that can be drawn on and made relevant. Nobody has an automatic entitlement to a TV series, especially a relative unknown with no experience.

And I think JO's been a real success. I binge-watched every episode over the weekend and have got loads of ideas from it. I know money is the least of their worries but they have the same relatable daily challenges of having to feed and entertain their kids and I genuinely believe JO does want to do his bit to help.

There's room for more than one show anyway. With the TV schedules emptying of live content over the next weeks or months it's hardly an either/or choice is it? It was a shame how yesterday's Daily Kitchen turned out and I haven't seen today's yet but I'm sure it'll be OK when it gets going.

FamilyOfAliens · 14/04/2020 15:55

FamilyOfAliens no she got an honorary doctorate but started throwing it around in conversations, that it gave her some level of expertise.

No shit! That’s hilarious. I mean, she clearly does suffer from poor mental health and JO is insufferably smug (though I love his recipes). But instigating a twitter pile-on makes you look like you’ve never progressed beyond the playground.

AllTheseThingsThatIHaveNotDone · 14/04/2020 19:04

Didn't watch it today. Might look on iplayer but not if it was just as awkward. JM had said on twitter she'd had no help from her partner. She did say she had loads of equipment now though. Gosh, I'd just be getting the taxi into the studio, I really would.
As to the over to you Jack type questions, they could have given beforehand to prep and it could still be delivered 'off the cuff', that would make more sense than trying to do spontaneous/banter when she's a newbie.
I do have a little sympathy, I was once audio interviewed with a boon thing and totally got tongue-tied and was videoed in a different language before and struggled, it can throw you off but I'dve thought someone could have walked her through it more. Matt looked irritated as the camera closed on him yesterday, was he more chilled today?

JemimaTab · 14/04/2020 19:46

Yes they (Jack/BBC) really do need to sort the tech side out, it’s pretty unprofessional and isn’t helping. If Matt is irritated by that, I wouldn’t blame him as he’s got to carry the show.

mum2jakie · 14/04/2020 22:19

Jamie Oliver won't be worrying about the competition anyway! His show has been great.

Christmastree43 · 14/04/2020 22:39

Have to agree, I'm not a huge fan of JO the man, his personality is just annoying lol, but I have a couple of his cookbooks and cook absolutely loads of weeknight meals from them, they really are simple, quick but also interesting and exciting.

And with his C4 show he's just got the zeitgeist, I've picked up loads of useful and relatable tips from it (if you run out of caster sugar you can even use icing sugar which I never knew) and I think his recipes really hit the spot of something enjoyable and nice to cook while in lockdown hell, while also being easy to substitute. Whereas Jack Monroes brand as far as I can see is just as cheap and uncheerful as possible Sad which makes me sad at a time like this. I haven't seen today's but the big fuss about the lemon yesterday - why couldn't she just say fresh is better if u have it but bottled will do and is cheaper if not. It doesn't have to be a crusade especially when it's arguably not as good...

WotnoPasta · 14/04/2020 23:00

I actually made a point of watching both on catchup. I’m not JO fan but honestly his food looks tasty and I’ve picked up a few ideas. I think the idea of substitution he’s pushing is a good one.
I’ve seen Jacks food and honestly don’t fancy most of it. For many of the viewers it’s not about the cost, it’s about availability of food and wanting to use what they have to avoid going out (well that’s my issue anyway).

Saladaysior · 14/04/2020 23:25

No need for JO to worry about the competition. Not only is he far more watchable but his recipes are interesting and tasty, he knows his stuff

JM’s recipes seem to consist of nicking a real chef’s idea and turning it into something cheap and cheerless

WickedlyPetite · 15/04/2020 09:22

I haven't seen today's but the big fuss about the lemon yesterday - why couldn't she just say fresh is better if u have it but bottled will do and is cheaper if not. It doesn't have to be a crusade especially when it's arguably not as good...

If you watch yesterday's show, you'll see she left a fresh lemon in front of her camera/laptop and on several occasions when they cut to her she was holding the lemon, messing around with it, dying for Matt to mention it, acting like an attention seeking child, then eventually she made a comment about a "passive aggressive lemon".

And that's part of the reason why she's so bloody unlikeable, you've nailed it, she turns every imagined slight into crusade.

TheSmallClangerWhistlesAgain · 15/04/2020 12:50

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to work with JM - she has a bit of a track record for falling out with people and suing them.

Her super-budget recipes must have helped loads of people but they don't translate well to TV. Her ideas work much better in a written format and that's absolutely fine - everyone has a style of working which suits them best.

ormami · 16/04/2020 20:02

She comes across as quite sweet, but out of her depth and should have practiced a lot more. Very different person to what I expected from her twitter

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