Wolverhampton mum starring in BBC show Britain's Best Home Cook 'proud' to put city on the map
"I fell to the floor. I just didn't think this would happen to me, a Wolverhampton girl."
Dipa Jakhu could not believe her luck when she was picked to star on new BBC show Britain's Best Home Cook.
The 44-year-old civil servant will be testing her Indian British fusion dishes on cooking queen Mary Berry tonight, when the show's first episode kicks off at 8pm.
And Dipa said she will definitely be putting her feet up - with a blanket, snacks and all her family around her - to watch the programme.
She said: "My colleagues nominated me. I always brought food to work and they loved it and they recommended I sign up. I said no and didn't think anything of it but then one night I just decided to do it. The very next day I got a call, one thing led to another and I was on the show."
Born in London, Dipa moved to Wolverhampton when she was four-years-old, but grew up learning to cook in a way combining her father’s Kenyan heritage and her mother’s Indian heritage with her own British twist.
She lives with her husband and three children, aged 18, 13, and three, who all love her homemade dishes.
She added: "My children love my lentil curry and chicken curry. They are all very excited. My middle one and little one love helping me cook, they love mixing the sauce. My oldest is more interested in her books.
"I'm really proud to be representing Wolverhampton. There's a lot of negative feedback on Wolverhampton but I'm really proud of the place I grew up. People are so friendly here, and always willing to help out.
"And this will put Wolverhampton on the map, and I'm really proud of that."
The eight-part series will be judged by former The Great British Bake Off star Mary Berry, Chris Bavin of Eat Well For Less, and head chef at top London restaurant The Duck and Waffle Dan Doherty and fronted by Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman.
Its first episode will see all 10 contestants embark on two challenges; making an ultimate home favourite - a burger with at least two sides - and an improvised dish around a single ingredient - which for the first episode will be nuts or berries.
The weakest cooks face the elimination round, before one contestant is then asked to leave the competition.
The search for Britain’s Best Home Cook begins tonight at 8pm on BBC One.
