Why Miguel Maestre says Ready Steady Cook is the hottest ticket since Taylor Swift

He’s nicknamed ‘The Crazy Bull’ and as anyone who has ever met the former Living Room presenter knows, Miguel Maestre has an infectious personality.

Bursting with enthusiasm, laughing, self-deprecating and unfiltered, Maestre is also a whirlwind of energy in an interview.

Speaking with TV Tonight for his new 10 series, Miguel’s vivacity is unapologetic in his very own Spanglish.

If Ready Steady Cook is anything like this interview then you can’t help but fall for its charms.

The series returns to 10 after nearly 11 years off air. Originally a daytime show in Australia fronted by chef Nick Stratford (2005), ever-popular Peter Everett (2006 – 2011) and comedian Colin Lane (2011 – 2013), it is based on a UK format.

Given a ‘shiny floor’ refresh by producers Endemol Shine Australia, it is now a weekly primetime offering where chefs join forces with home cooks using five ingredients to create winning dishes in front of a studio audience.

“It is everything, the whole nostalgia of the old school show used to be, plus a massive super production,” he declares.

“It’s amazing in a way that is so refreshing and spontaneous. Two amazing cooks, some of Australia’s best chefs, 20 minutes, three dishes. The audience get to decide what is the winner. I mean, what is nothing to like about that? It’s truly fantastic!

“The energy of a live audience on a Friday night is one of my favourite things in the world. And then the real feel of giving sous chefs no chance to know what is in the bag and get them to cook the dishes – I mean, that’s magic TV!

“I mean you could never plan it, you cannot harness it. You cannot agree on it. It just happens. And that’s one of my favourite things in the world. It’s just like it’s life, it’s real. It’s fantastic!”

Hoping to reign supreme in their Capsicum and Tomato teams, are Adriano Zumbo, Hayden Quinn, Anna Polyviou, Khanh Ong, Mindy Woods, Sarah Todd, Sergio Perera, Diana Chan, Alastair McLeod, Mike Reid, Adam D’Sylva and Alice Zaslavsky.

“You can feel the energy. The atmosphere,” he continues. “I don’t think we have nothing like that in Australian cooking in what is the primetime shows. I think this is gonna really refresh a little bit on the Friday night lifestyle. People really like to finish the week, sit down family viewing, learning some cooking and having some fun. Oh my god, I’m really excited. I think you’re actually going to fall in love with this!”

Who can argue with such unbridled enthusiasm? But wait there’s more.

“The kitchen’s the most beautiful set you’ve ever seen. It’s just fantastic. Endemol Shine as you know, don’t do things halfways. A great production company,” Maestre insists.

“The audience is the fifth element to the whole show and our tickets, the hottest since Taylor Swift. I mean, you couldn’t get a chair in our tickets anymore. It’s like people are dying to see this Live.”

Miguel is hoping those who remember the daytime series with affection will warm to the primetime version, but be ready for the Crazy Bull touch.

“I’m starting with a clean slate. I do things my way, it’s only one way, the Maestre style! As a chef it’s like opening the doors of a new restaurant. It’s the greatest opportunity. I try to inject and put inside all my passion for cooking and my love for food,” he continues.

“We’ve been delivering course after course of delicious food that believe it or not I get to taste every day. I think I’m going to put like 20 kilos on. A whole mouthful of everything! The flavours are great and presentation is amazing.”

10 has commissioned 20 episodes of the series for Fridays, with a supermarket sponsor on board, in the slot that proved so popular for The Living Room. While the network promised it was ‘resting’ the series, not tven the cast was fully convinced of those statements. But the ‘Fab 4’ remain friends.

“The Living Room finishing wasn’t the end of us. We are extremely good friends…. I mean Amanda I was texting this morning, I was talking to Barry over the weekend….. I spoke with Gringo (Chris Brown) after his trip. Our friendship has still grown and we catch up. I mean TV is TV but the goal that we built for 11 years is just beautiful and the friendship, I think it will stay there forever. So who knows? I mean, TV you never know what’s gonna happen tomorrow isn’t it?”

No arguments there.

Amanda Keller will also compete in Ready Steady Cook alongside radio pal Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones, with more celebs to follow.

“Can I tell you that was one of the funniest cooking segments I have ever been part of in my life! Because you get the advantage of these couples of people all around our landscape of Australian TV,” Maestre recalls.

“I mean, we couldn’t stop laughing. But at the same time we were cooking.”

The weekly winners of Ready Steady Cook win a ‘bronze ladel’ which Maestre inists is “the most prestigious award in Friday night cooking.”

What’s not to love?

Ready Steady Cook screens 7:30pm Fridays on 10.