A biography for Ainsley Harriotthasn’t been written yet.
“I like a bit of chocolate as much as the next person, but cheese is a complete world on its own. The sheer variety is staggering and there's always going to be a cheese to tickle your taste buds.”
“I must admit that I do love to dance, but doing it in front of the nation is a whole different matter!”
“We were lucky as kids - whenever we came home from school, Mum was there.”
“Mum passed on her cooking skills to all her children.”
“People always think I'm this zany character. But I think I just see the funny side of life, I don't see the negative side, and I think that's a very good energy to be around.”
“You don't realise until you do 'Strictly' how obsessed people are.”
“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.”
“I want to have a relationship with my kids. I want them to be free with me, to have a good relationship.”
“People can be comfortable, really, once you invite them into the kitchen.”
“I want to help others smile and be kind as often as possible.”
“I dislike anger so much, I even find it difficult watching 'EastEnders.'”
“I've lost both my parents and I don't think you ever get used to it.”
“When you look at people cooking in Britain - and Dubai, too - they're not that adventurous. They need to be encouraged somehow. And not everybody needs to be shouted at.”
“I love the humour of the British and I love the countryside.”
“People know that when they watch an Ainsley programme or get an Ainsley book it's going to be something that is approachable and something that is achievable and ultimately something that is rewarding.”
“It's a brilliant place to be. It's rewarding. Gardens are so rewarding.”
“If I hadn't become a chef I would have loved to be a top tennis player, although I was never good enough so it wasn't really an option. But that has never dimmed my love of the game, which started in childhood when I was lucky enough to be a ball boy at Wimbledon.”
“In my 20s, I was body surfing in Spain and the current dragged me out. I was waving at my friends who thought I was messing about, but I was drowning. I managed to swim in on my back but it scarred me.”
“People who drop litter really stress me out. I have been known to chase after people and say, 'Sorry, but you've forgotten something,' and then hand it back to them.”
“I have a young heart.”