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Let's Do Lunch with Gino & Mel

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Let's Do Lunch with Gino & Mel
GenreCookery, chat
Presented byGino D'Acampo
Melanie Sykes
Voices ofDavid Wartnaby (2014)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series4
No. of episodes88
Production
Production locationThe London Studios
Running time60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production companyITV Studios
Original release
NetworkITV
Release8 August 2011 (2011-08-08) –
8 August 2014 (2014-08-08)
Related
ITV Food

Let's Do Lunch with Gino & Mel is a British daytime television programme which aired live on ITV from 2011 until 2014 as part of ITV Food, presented by Gino D'Acampo and Melanie Sykes. D'Acampo cooks various food items, whilst Sykes does the main presenting of the show. The show mixed food with celebrity chat. In each episode, a celebrity guest appeared to assist the hosts and chat to them about their latest projects.

Alongside the main show aired a pre-recorded Christmas series known as Let's Do Christmas with Gino & Mel (2012–2014), which saw D'Acampo cooking Christmas food, still with celebrity guests and chat. There were three series of the Christmas show.[1]

Format

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Gino's Masterclass

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In some episodes, Gino shared his expertise with the viewers with his top tips on various topics. These included knife skills, tomatoes, bacon, pastry, pasta, rice, chicken, Yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, sausages and meat.

Challenge Gino

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In every episode, Gino had to take part in a food-related challenge. Some of them were attempts to get Gino a Guinness World Record. For the Christmas series, these tasks included Irish Coffee making, eating Brussels sprouts and making Chocolate truffles.

Sometimes there was no challenge, and etiquette expert William Hanson joined the show to talk about subjects such as Royal dining, wedding etiquette or restaurant manners.

In the first and second series, Gino's challenger received a tea towel with the printed text on it which says "I challenged Gino and all I got was this rubbish tea towel". In the third and fourth series, the challenger received a "Let's Do Lunch" lunchbox.

Transmissions

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Series Start date End date Episodes
1 8 August 2011 2 September 2011 19
2 9 July 2012 31 August 2012 29
3 1 July 2013 26 July 2013 20
4 14 July 2014[2] 8 August 2014 20
  • Episodes aired daily at 12:30pm for an hour when Loose Women took their summer break

Episode guide

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Series 1

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AGino broke the Guinness World Record

Series 2

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AGino broke the Guinness World Record
BGino did not attempt this challenge

Series 3

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AGino broke the Guinness World Record

Series 4

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AThese episodes were pre-recorded and therefore there were no audience options, so Gino cooked set dishes instead.

Let's Do Christmas with Gino & Mel

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Let's Do Christmas with Gino & Mel
Presented byMelanie Sykes
Gino D'Acampo
No. of series3
No. of episodes30
Original release
NetworkITV
Release10 December 2012 (2012-12-10) –
19 December 2014 (2014-12-19)

Let's Do Christmas with Gino & Mel was a Christmas spin-off of Let's Do Lunch, which aired on ITV from 2012 until 2014. The series showed viewers how to cook easy meals during the Christmas period. Much like the regular series, Let's Do Christmas was hosted by D'Acampo and Sykes, along with a celebrity guest appearing in each episode. This, unlike the main series, was pre-recorded and not broadcast live.

There were several changes made to the studio set and format such as Christmas decorations that appear on the usual set. The series are pre-recorded at The London Studios in the summer of each year. As episodes were not broadcast live, the viewers recipe vote was dropped. In its place, Gino made another dish.

Let's Do Christmas has not returned to television since its third series in 2014. There was no fourth series in 2015, A re-run aired in place.

Transmissions

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Series Start date End date Episodes
1 10 December 2012 21 December 2012 10
2 15 December 2013 24 December 2013 10
3 8 December 2014[4] 19 December 2014 10

Episode guide

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Series 1

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Air date Celebrity guest Gino's challenge Recipes
10/12/2012 David Gest Making more Irish coffees than the challenger in a minute Cheat's Christmas Pudding • Prawn and Crab Cocktail • Slow Roasted Vegetable Soup • Leftover Turkey and Ham Pie
11/12/2012 Christopher Biggins Eating as many Brussels Sprouts in a minuteA Roast Cola Ham • Baked camembert • Quick Salmon pate • Chocolate orange mousse cake
12/12/2012 Oz Clarke Christmas party etiquette feature with William Hanson (no challenge) Baked Big Breakfast • Perfect Roast Potatoes • Christmas roast beef with thyme onions
13/12/2012 Louie Spence Decorating a Gingerbread House in 90 seconds Vegetarian Christmas Wellington • Parsnip and Parmesan mash • Peas and pancetta • Christmas panettone trifle
14/12/2012 Sherrie Hewson Making Japanese Christmas Decorations Turkey curry and festive rice • Cheese and marmite straws • Crostini with blue cheese dressing • Christmas Roast Pork
17/12/2012 Anton Du Beke Eating 3 Mince Pies in a minuteA Fried Christmas pudding with clotted cream • Homemade piccalilli • Apple and rosemary jelly • Mulled Wine
18/12/2012 Jodie Prenger Playing a Christmas song on Handbells Turkey and cranberry risotto • Festive sprout gratin • Festive Fruit punch • Ice cream bombe
19/12/2012 Craig Revel Horwood Making a Christmas wreath in a minute Leftover cheese board fondue • Sticky red cabbage with apples and cider • Orange glazed baby carrots and onions • Seafood platter with saffron and lime mayonnaise
20/12/2012 Rhod Gilbert Carving a turkey in 90 seconds Christmas pork terrine • Mustard glazed chicken wings • Baked Stilton mushrooms
21/12/2012 Paul Nicholas Making more than forty chocolate truffles in 2 minutesB No bake Irish liqueur cheesecake • Smoked salmon and herb roulade

AGino attempted to break the Guinness World Record but failed
BGino broke the Guinness World Record

Series 2

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Air date Celebrity guest(s) Gino's challenge Recipes
15/12/2013 Cheryl Fergison Most bottles of champagne opened in one minuteB Seafood platter • Christmas pinwheels with sundried-tomatoes and feta • Pea and pecorino crostini • Chocolate Christmas pudding with brandy custard and salted caramel ice cream
16/12/2013 Sally Lindsay Pour a glass of champagne and make a cocktail whilst being upside down Last minute Christmas cake • Leftover turkey and ham pie • Roast goose with port and orange gravy
17/12/2013 Christopher Biggins Open a bottle of port using a feather Festive pork wellington • Make-ahead gravy • Christmas pudding soufflé
18/12/2013 Shane Filan Christmas etiquette feature with William Hanson (no challenge) Roast crown of lamb with mint jelly • Apricot, chilli and walnut stuffing • Hot gingerbread punch • Profiteroles with chocolate sauce
19/12/2013 Melanie C and Matt Cardle Most jumpers put on in one minuteA Christmas fish soup • Cranberry glazed sausages with mustard mayonnaise • Dressed mozzarella balls with parma ham • Bread sauce • Leftover turkey enchiladas
20/12/2013 Craig Revel Horwood Fastest time to decorate a Christmas treeA Black forest gateau trifle • Sautéed sprouts with almonds and lemon • Maple and cayenne roasted parsnips • Roast pork with pear gravy
21/12/2013 Joe Pasquale Fill four sherry glasses using a Valencia Slow roast leg of lamb with braised peas • Ham hock and parsley terrine • Mulled cider • Chocolate honeycomb mousse cake
22/12/2013 Bruno Tonioli Christmas etiquette feature with William Hanson (no challenge) Filo mince pies • Sweet chilli prawn bites • Stilton and apple crostini • Horseradish sauce • Roast rib of beef inside a giant Yorkshire pudding
23/12/2013 Oz Clarke Oral juggling, play the tune of "Jingle Bells" Baked mustard and ginger ham with pineapple chutney • Potted shrimps • Christmas clementine pavlova
24/12/2013 Billy Ocean Most jumpers put on in one minuteB Christmas Roast Turkey • Homemade Cranberry sauce • Vegetable terrine with roasted garlic bread • Italian roast potatoes with carrots in tarragon and garlic with pigs in blankets1

AGino attempted to break the Guinness World Record but failed
BGino broke the Guinness World Record

Series 3

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Air date Celebrity guest(s) Gino's challenge Recipes
8/12/2014[4] Catherine Tyldesley Make three Yule logs in under 90 seconds Smoked Salmon Fishcakes with lemon crème fraiche • Fillet of Beef with Mushroom Rarebit topping • Porchetta
9/12/2014 Elaine Paige Serving six guests Pan-fried figs wrapped in parma ham • Cheats three bird roast • Tiramisu cake
10/12/2014 Warwick Davis Make a layered Kransekage cake in one minute Spicy sprout rice with griddled prawns • Apple and blackberry crumble with boozy custard • Salmon Coulibiac
11/12/2014 Jason Gardiner Make 9 Christmas canapés Quick Broccoli and Cauliflower soup with crispy chestnuts • Pimped up mince pies • Open Vegan Lasagna
12/12/2014 Ashley Roberts Make a Christmas cocktail Pomegranate and cranberry cous cous salad with chicken • Emergency hearty canapés • Ham with pear and cider sauce
15/12/2014 Theo Paphitis The most nuts cracked and dipped in chocolate within one minute Brick-turkey with balsamic red onions • Mexican eggs • Venison with a rich brandy and porcini mushroom sauce
16/12/2014 Aled Jones and Tom Chambers Decorate a cupcake with a snowman made of icing and liquorice in under one minute Kale and pancetta potato cakes • Slow cooked beef brisket • Christmas pudding trifle
17/12/2014 Zoë Wanamaker Quick risotto with smoked haddock • Chicken tarragon Christmas crackers • Pulled lamb shoulder with winter coleslaw
18/12/2014 Simon Callow Making decorations with vegetables Creamy sprout and leek stroganoff • Coddled eggs • Roasted pheasant crown with spiced red cabbage
19/12/2014 Mark Foster Dressed in a Christmas pudding suit picking presents Roast turkey and all the sticky trimmings

References

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  1. ^ Gino and Mel Return Let’s Do-Lunch and Let’s Do Christmas 2013 [dead link]
  2. ^ a b "Let's Do Lunch... With Gino and Mel". digiguide.tv.
  3. ^ "Let's Do Lunch...with Gino & Mel Episode 6". ITV Press Centre.
  4. ^ a b "Let's Do Christmas...With Gino & Mel Episode 1". ITV Press Centre.
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