103 Quotes by Ainsley Harriott

You don't realise until you do 'Strictly' how obsessed people are.

I must admit that I do love to dance, but doing it in front of the nation is a whole different matter!

Performing has always been instinctive to me. I remember people saying, 'he doesn't know if he's a chef or an entertainer.' But what's wrong with being both? It's like saying you can't run the 100 and the 200 metres.

Christmas for me means starting the day with ackee and saltfish, and cornbread muffins.

I love energy, I love to give people energy, I love to feed off energy - it makes me happy.

When we talk about foodies, we're talking about less than five per cent of the population who eat nicely. For most people it's just fuel: 'I gotta feed the kids.'

Everybody's got the ability to cook. They just have to be shown.

I'm a classic cheddar man, I really do like it, though I don't mind a good Stilton or blue cheese.

My mum was the most wonderful cook and our house was always full of delicious food and interesting people. I remember dad entertaining the likes of Des O'Connor and Bruce Forsyth. But what really shaped my childhood were the amazing Jamaican dishes that mum produced so effortlessly.