To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Rylan Clark-Neal's 'Ready Steady Cook' Reboot Kicks Off On Monday

Rylan Clark-Neal's 'Ready Steady Cook' Reboot Kicks Off On Monday

Green pepper and red tomato voting cards at the ready.

Mary-Jane Wiltsher

Mary-Jane Wiltsher

It's the 90s cooking show classic that had audiences waving green pepper and red tomato placards like their lives depended on it. On Monday, Ready Steady Cook returns to BBC One, fronted by fabulous host Rylan Clark-Neal.

The shiny new reboot features an impressive line-up of hot foodie talents, including Romy Gill, Mike Reid, Ellis Barrie, Akis Petretzikis and Anna Haugh.

The format has changed, too. Whereas the original show saw chefs prepare a meal in 20 minutes using a bag of mystery ingredients picked by contestants, the new show deals with modern food themes.

Those themes include cooking for the whole family, meals on a budget, healthy eating and - in a nod to sustainability - managing food waste. So, while the show's return is sure to generate all kinds of nostalgia, it also reflects the major changes that have happened in Britain's food scene.

There are plenty of similarities to the 90s show. In each episode, two contestants will buddy up with a chef to compete against the clock in the brand spanking new Ready Steady Cook kitchen. The tests will vary, challenging the chefs to draw on their full skill set.

The original show was a 90s and early noughties classic helmed by Ainsley Harriott, Fern Britton and the late Dale Winton (
BBC)

The opening challenge is a lot like the original, with contestants handing over a bag of ingredients, ranging between price tags of £3.50 and £10. Chefs then have 20 minutes to whip up a knockout meal to impress both the contestant and audience.

Wildcard ingredients are introduced to spice things up, and challenges get faster. In the second half, chefs must prepare a showstopper dish in just 10 minutes.

To make things trickier, the second dish is based on audience ingredient cards, with an increasing chance of bizarre flavour combos.

Show host Rylan will no doubt by chiming in with the foodie puns and sassy one-liners too.

The show's new foodie themes include themes include cooking for the family, budget meals, healthy eating and managing food waste (
BBC)

The original show first aired in 1994, with the final episode broadcast in 2010, and was hosted by Ainsley Harriott, Fern Britton and the late Dale Winton. The first generation of chefs included TV-favourite Gino D'Acampo, Sally Bee and Patrick Anthony.

Die-hard fans will be thrilled to hear that in keeping with tradition, the casting vote for the show's winner is made by the studio audience using those all-important red tomato and green pepper voting cards.

Ready Steady Cook returns Monday 2nd March at 4.30pm on BBC One. The show is made by Remarkable TV, part of Endemol Shine UK.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: TV News, TV Entertainment, Rylan Clark-Neal