James Tanner

James Tanner (born 1976 in Kent) is a British chef and television personality. He currently appears on the BBC cookery programme Ready Steady Cook.

After studying hotel management he worked in the kitchens of several well-known restaurants, often with his older brother Chris. He worked his way up through the ranks until he was invited by the Roux brothers to move to the US and work in upstate New York, where he was Chef de Partie at the Lake Placid Lodge. Within four months he was promoted to junior sous chef.

He worked his way up the ranks and on returning to England took a job under Martin Blunos at the two Michelin-starred restaurant Lettonie in Bath before a head-chef role at Right on the Green in Kent.    In 1999, aged 23, James and his brother Chris opened Tanners Restaurant in Plymouth.

James' television career began in 2002 when he and brother Chris made their first TV appearance on a competition called 'Chef Stars', a promotion run by UKTV Food and broadcast predominantly on their flagship show Good Food Live (more recently known as Great Food Live). The brothers didn't make it through to the final, but they made an impression.   James became a semi-regular guest on Great Food Live which was shot at the same studios as Ready Steady Cook. He was recommended to audition for the show and duly became a regular. At the heart of his style during his TV appearances is the repetition of his catchphrase "Like so", used in order to make various culinary techniques seem easy, encouraging members of the public to give them a try, and also to assuage viewers' fears of unfamiliar ingredients, as well as "dig down deep". Many feel that his influence on the Great British Public's attitude towards cuisine rivals that of his peers Jamie Oliver and Ainsley Harriott.

James also continues to appear on Saturday Kitchen and Great Food Live (now cancelled).

Matt Kennard

Matthew Kennard (born 12 February 1982 in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire) is an English actor, currently starring in UK daytime drama Doctors, as nurse Archie Hallam; a role he has had since August 2007. He has had several notable roles in British drama series, including Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and The Bill amongst others.

He also starred as Manchester United footballer Duncan Edwards in a BBC dramatisation of the 1958 Munich Air Disaster. One of Matt's earlier roles was in the series 'Love in the 21st Century', broadcast on Channel4tv in 1999 by Red Productions who were previously responsible for the acclaimed Queer as Folk. Kennard's character is seduced by a school teacher who believes she is giving him experience, although it later transpires he's had a bet that he'd sleep with her.

Kennard has a twin brother called Sam, who is also an actor, with whom he lives in London.

Sam Bond : Gladiators

With the New series of Gladiators being broadcast in the UK, I chose one of the Gladiators to feature on.  Gladiators have not been on TV since 1990.

• Gladiator ID: ATLAS       Real Name: SAM BOND
• Age: 24         Hometown: BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND
• Height: 5ft 11"             Weight: 16st 11lbs
• Theme Tune: WHATTA MAN - EN VOGUE feat SALT N PEPA

 

Atlas is a natural bodybuilder competing for the British National Bodybuilding Federation and the National Physiques Association. In 2006, he came third in the national championships behind two professional bodybuilders. Atlas is one of the highest ranked amateur natural bodybuilders and hopes to get his pro card this year. Outside of the arena, Atlas is a charity fundraiser.