Plenty to juggle for most of us, but Angellica Bell is not one to turn down new challenges.
We first met up with Angellica in the spring of 2019. Angellica is an award winning TV presenter with programmes such as a Saturday show, Family Finders, The One Show, The Great British Village Show to name but a few. She is also a serious foodie and a proud winner of the Celebrity Masterchef in 2017. She’s had a busy year since then, even in lockdown, so it’s time for an update.
“I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I chatted to Darling Magazine and from then life has been pretty hectic. I spent quite a lot of last year covering for Alex Jones on The One Show which was great to get stuck into some live television broadcasting working alongside the likes of Matt Baker, Jamie Cullum and Marvin Humes. I just love the buzz and adrenalin rush you get from hearing the theme tune start and then the countdown in your ear to deliver that infamous first sentence, ‘Hello and welcome to The One Show’ with…………. If that first line goes well, then I’m on a roll! As well as that, I’ve just finished filming the ninth series of The Martin Lewis Money Show which is a great programme helping so many people look after their finances which includes me; it’s fantastic to work on a show where I can learn too. When I chatted to you guys last year, my cookbook had just been published. That was such an achievement for me as I never thought I’d have a book of my own. I remember walking past the newly re-opened Waterstones in Kingston and seeing ‘Fantastic Eats’ in the window. I was so shocked, yet so happy! I now have budding young chefs sending me pictures of the food they’ve made with my recipes and telling me they’ve cooked for their families: that’s why I wanted to do this book, to inspire others. Away from the gloss of TV I spend most of my time juggling diaries, making sure there’s enough food in the house, keeping the house tidy and making time for those that matter to me. It’s so easy nowadays with so many social media platforms to believe that everyone else is living that perfect life when the reality is, we are all doing our best and hoping we are making the right choices.”
A true West London girl, Angellica grew up in Ealing, and also served in Ealing Council. She now lives in Kingston with her husband Michael Underwood and their two young children. She has carved herself an impressive and long career in TV, first as a CBBC presenter, where she met her husband, who was one of her co-presenters. Her bubbly personality and beautiful smile made programmes such as Children in Need and Tour de Celeb a joy to watch. She is also entertaining us on radio with a classical music channel Scala Radio. In September 2017, Angellica impressed with her fantastic cooking skills in the twelfth series of BBC’s Celebrity MasterChef by winning the coveted title. To ad an item such as the MasterChef trophy on your kitchen shelf is a dream for any cook’s worth her salt.
Where does your inspiration to cook come from and who’s influenced you most in the kitchen?
“I have to thank my Gran who was a fantastic cook. She was from St Lucia and her food was always full of flavour and spices. We would always find in the kitchen, with fresh delicious food ready even if we were just popping in. I used to spend a lot of time with her as a child and learned things like descaling fish, frying chicken and cooking rice as she would enjoy seeing me help her. That really gave me the confidence to try different things and learn through trial and error and I actually became the main cook for the family when I was quite young.”
Angellica has just published her first cookery book, Fantastic Eats! And How to Cook Them which is aimed at children from age five and upwards who are cooking supervised, and also for older children when they are cooking on their own.
“I wanted it to be a book of great basic, staple recipes that children would want to still use in their teens and if they went on to become students too. I’ve included recipes I tried in my home economics classes at school, dishes that don’t date and are aspirational for children to master. Today’s children are so savvy and informed and they want their food to look and taste great.”
Angellica has been one of the judges in the Kingston Charity Bake Off, raising funds for ‘Love Kingston’. Baking is one of her passions and having a sweet tooth makes tasting lots of cakes a dream job for her. Even in MasterChef she was always put to task the pastry section, a pretty stressful place to be, but she thrived on the challenge, particular on the scientific process of baking.
Getting involved with local events and charities is important to her and both her and Michael are patrons of IYAF (International Youth Arts Festival) in Kingston. She believes in giving young people a voice and allowing them to articulate how they feel through arts. She has first hand experience of this as drama and public speaking gave her a lot of confidence when she was growing up.
Your TV career has span nearly 20 years which is a great achievement. What do you love most in your job and what’s been your favourite show to present?
“I’ve met so many wonderful people with amazing stories, especially since working as one of the reporters on The One Show. Working on live TV is fantastic as that really does get my adrenalin going. My career has also taken me to many fantastic places and given me exciting challenges such 71 Degrees North for ITV when I faced gruelling challenges in the Arctic, learning to ride a bike then having to cycle a section of the Tour de France for the Etape du Tour, plus also sailing around the British Isles on a Volvo 65’ yacht for Sport Relief. I also took part in part of de Tour de Celeb. For all of those challenges I was thrown out of my comfort zone but I like to try and face my fears. I’ve also been lucky to travel extensively to places like Madagascar, America and Italy. I’m grateful for these opportunities which have helped me develop as a person.”
What does being a celebrity mean to you?
“I don’t really like the word and don’t see myself as a celebrity. We are all VIPs! I’m treated just like anyone else in my local area in Kingston, even if I’m at the supermarket, the Bentall Centre or local shops, no-one really cares and people feel comfortable to come up and have a chat, which is lovely. I am very private and protective of my family which is why I don’t do many interviews or talk about them specifically. However, I can’t hide from the fact that I have a public job. I was approached the other day in Richmond by a young man who wanted to thank me as he had watched me on the Children’s BBC show CBBC and said I played a big part in his childhood. I guess if I can make a positive impact that’s great and also important to me. As long as I work on shows I love and which have integrity I’m happy. I now pick my shows carefully and always think how it will impact me and my family’s future.”
Angellica’s favourite haunts near her home
I love the riverfront for walks and for the lovely restaurants both in Kingston and Richmond.
As a keen runner, I’ve completed a marathon and a couple of half marathons, Richmond Park is a fantastic place to train. You are likely to catch me there this summer as we probably won’t pump into each other in the departure lounge anytime soon.
Rose Theatre in Kingston is great for shows for the whole family and also for quality drama too.
To keep up with Angelica’s news follow her on
twitter.com/angellicabell and instagram.com/angellicabell
Main photos by Leo Holden Snooty Fox images and Rachel Lowndes
