Can't Cook, Won't Cook

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Ainsley Harriot on the cover of the first Can't Cook, Won't Cook spin-off cookery book.

Can't Cook, Won't Cook was a UK game show and cooking programme that was broadcast on BBC 1 from 1995 to 1999. In it two people who either could not cook or would not cook were nominated to appear on the show the show by a friend or family member, the Host Chef would then set the two the task of cooking a certain meal. Once both participants had cooked these meals, the person who nominated them was blindfolded and sampled both versions of the meals; the winner was then the cook of the dish whom both blindfolded people nominated as the better tasting meal. In the case of a tie, the Host Chef would select the winner.

Over the years the programme featured several different Host Chefs, most prominently Ainsley Harriott but Kevin Woodford, Lesley Waters, Richard Cawley, Tony Tobin and others also took the role.

One special episode aired under the name "Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg" as part of the 10th anniversary of the Red Dwarf series, this can be seen on the Series IV DVD. The Red Dwarf cast participated in the show entirely in character. Ainsley Harriott, the host chef for the episode, had previously performed a small role in the Red Dwarf episode Emohawk - Polymorph II.

There have been several cookery books based on the series written and a board game based on the series made.