A SWINDON episode of hit TV show Come Dine With Me will be shown by Channel 4 tomorrow.

In the programme, a quartet of cooks host dinner parties at their homes, deciding by a vote whose dishes are the best.

The Swindon programme features Mark Farrow, Sarah Louise Moore, Imelda Smith and Annette Storey.

The result is being kept secret until tomorrow’s broadcast, although Channel 4 has dropped tantalising hints about friction and accusations of chauvinism.

Meanwhile, the contestants have been told not to give too much information away.

However, the Swindon Advertiser was able to track down Mark and persuade him to share a few insights.

Mark, 42, lives in Old Town and works as a manager at an office services company.

He said: “I realised when I was a teenager that the way to pick up a girl was to be able to cook for her and cook well.

“That gave me an interest, and since then I’ve become more interested in food.

“If you like food you have to cook it yourself, because nobody can do it better.

“I favour traditional English cuisine, and I’m a huge believer in local produce.”

Without giving too much away about his dinner party in tomorrow’s programme, Mark added that he sourced all his ingredients locally.

Rather than applying for a place on Come Dine With Me, Mark was nominated by a friend, and the first he heard about it was when the producers telephoned him. He soon decided to accept the challenge.

He insists that anybody can learn to cook, and that the benefits far outweigh the challenges.

He said: “Put in the effort and you will eat food better than any you have ever tasted. It will be better than in the top London restaurants because it will be fresh, locally sourced and free from additives.”

But what advice does he have for people who want to learn to cook but haven’t the first idea where to start? Should they buy sumptuous recipe books? Consult the web for recipes?

“No,” Mark said.

“Start with the basics. Learn how to cook an egg. Learn how to cook a steak. Learn how to cook veg.

“Cooking is about a limited number of techniques, and once you have mastered these you can cook with the best of them.”

Come Dine with Me is shown at 8pm.