I'm not really sure what your point is about him being a food writer. Have you read his autobiography? He's had a passion for food since he was a child. He has a talent for writing about food but I don't think that takes away from his cooking talents. I've loved his books ever since I read Real Good Food because he absolutely loves food and I could relate to so many of the things he says about it. While so many chefs/cooks give you a recipe and a few words, he'll talk about the sticky bits left in the pan or the bits that ooze or crunch! For him it's not about impressing the audience but about getting across how much pleasure food is. He's not afraid to 'lick the beaters'! He'll talk about Valrhona chocolate but he'll also admit that there are times when only a bar of Cadburys will hit the mark.

I don't think he comes over that well on TV but he does come across as genuine.

Does anyone know what is it with Gary Rhodes and that fake posh accent? I enjoy watching him cook but the accent is so irritating - I wonder why he had to change it?