Ainsley Harriott MBE is the British chef, television personality and cookery-show host who became internationally recognised through BBC One’s Ready Steady Cook (1994-2010), Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook (1995-2000), and the current ITV and ITVX series Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas and Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours. Born 28 February 1957 in Paddington, London, to Jamaican-born parents including the nightclub singer Chester Harriott, Harriott trained at Westminster Technical College and worked across London hotel kitchens including the Lord’s Cricket Ground and the Westbury Hotel in the 1980s before moving into television in the early 1990s.
Harriott’s 2025-2026 television work includes Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas, a 10-part ITV and ITVX series exploring Nassau and Paradise Island that began airing in January 2025 and continues into early 2026, and Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours, the continuing ITV series including Nordic and Mexican specials. He was shortlisted for Best Food Programme at the 2026 TV Choice Awards for Fantastic Flavours. In March 2026 he appeared on BBC Local Radio stations supporting the relaunch of the Scouts Cooks Badge, and he continues to advocate for the Meat Free Monday campaign and for children’s cookery education. He was appointed MBE in 2020 for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts.
TL;DR
- British chef born 28 February 1957 in Paddington, London
- Trained at Westminster Technical College; hotel kitchens in London in the 1980s
- Ready Steady Cook host on BBC One 2000-2010 after initial regular-chef role from 1994
- Current ITV work: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours and Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas (10-part series from January 2025)
- Appointed MBE in 2020 for services to broadcasting and culinary arts
- Shortlisted for Best Food Programme at 2026 TV Choice Awards
Ainsley Harriott key facts
| Born | 28 February 1957, Paddington, London, England (Jamaican heritage) |
| Nationality | British |
| Training | Westminster Technical College; Lord’s Cricket Ground; Westbury Hotel London |
| Defining programme | Ready Steady Cook on BBC One 1994-2010 (regular chef 1994-2000, host 2000-2010) |
| Current programmes | Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours on ITV; Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas on ITV/ITVX from January 2025 |
| Honours | MBE appointed 2020 for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts |
| 2026 recognition | Shortlisted Best Food Programme at 2026 TV Choice Awards; Scouts Cooks Badge relaunch March 2026 |
Early life and training of Ainsley Harriott
Harriott was born on 28 February 1957 in Paddington, London, to Jamaican-born parents who had moved to the United Kingdom during the Windrush generation. His father Chester Harriott was a professional nightclub singer and pianist who performed on London hotel and restaurant circuits through the 1950s and 1960s, and Ainsley grew up around the London entertainment industry. He has spoken in multiple interviews about a childhood split between London and his Jamaican family connections, and about the influence of Caribbean home cooking on his later approach to television cookery.
Harriott enrolled at Westminster Technical College for catering qualifications and began his full-time kitchen career in his late teens. Through the late 1970s and 1980s he worked in central-London hotel kitchens including at Lord’s Cricket Ground, the Westbury Hotel, and other major London hospitality venues. He built experience across fine-dining catering, large-event cookery and classical technique across this period, and by the late 1980s he had reached senior chef positions in the London hotel kitchen circuit.
In the early 1990s Harriott moved into broadcasting through guest appearances on BBC cookery programmes. His big break came in 1994 when Ready Steady Cook premiered on BBC One with Harriott as one of the rotating chef participants. The programme’s format, pairing guest chefs against each other with mystery-ingredient baskets and a 20-minute cooking window, suited Harriott’s warm and theatrical presentation style. In 2000 he replaced Fern Britton as presenter of Ready Steady Cook, hosting the programme until it ended in 2010.
Ainsley Harriott career timeline
- 28 February 1957: Born in Paddington, London, England
- Late 1970s: Attends Westminster Technical College for catering qualifications
- 1980s: Works at Lord’s Cricket Ground, Westbury Hotel and other London hotel kitchens
- Early 1990s: Moves into broadcasting through BBC cookery guest appearances
- 1994: Ready Steady Cook premieres on BBC One with Harriott as regular guest chef
- 1995: Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook premieres on BBC One (Harriott hosts through 2000)
- 1999: Publishes Ainsley’s Barbecue Bible and other early cookbooks
- 2000: Replaces Fern Britton as host of Ready Steady Cook
- 2000-2010: Hosts Ready Steady Cook on BBC One
- 2002: Launches Ainsley Harriott Cup Soup product range with Batchelors
- 2010: Ready Steady Cook ends on BBC One
- 2011: Appears on Strictly Come Dancing Season 9
- 2015: Ainsley’s Gourmet Express airs on BBC Two
- 2017: Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen airs on ITV
- 2018: Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook companion published
- 2020: Appointed MBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours
- 2022: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours premieres on ITV
- 2023-2024: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours continues with Nordic and Mexican specials
- January 2025: Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas launches on ITV and ITVX (10-part series)
- April 2025: Featured on City & Guilds Skills Change Lives campaign
- 2025: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours continues on ITV
- 2026: Shortlisted for Best Food Programme at TV Choice Awards 2026; Taste of The Bahamas continues into early 2026
- March 2026: Appears on BBC Local Radio supporting the Scouts Cooks Badge relaunch
Ainsley Harriott signature style: warm live cookery and international travelogue
Harriott’s central argument, developed on Ready Steady Cook from 1994 and refined across three decades of UK cookery television, is that live cookery presentation can combine technical competence with warmth, humour and theatricality in a way that welcomes home cooks rather than intimidating them. The Ready Steady Cook format during his 10-year hosting run (2000-2010) became the defining UK daytime cookery programme of the period, and Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook extended the same approach into a format focused on reluctant cooks.
The second defining element is the international travelogue format, which Harriott has developed across multiple ITV series since 2017. Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen, Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook, Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours (with Nordic and Mexican specials) and the 2025-2026 Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas together form a substantial UK travel-cookery documentary library. The format pairs Harriott’s warm presentation style with international culinary exploration, often with extended focus on Caribbean cuisines reflecting his Jamaican heritage.
The third pillar is the food-product and public-service work. Harriott’s Cup Soup range with Batchelors (launched 2002) became one of the most commercially successful UK chef-brand product partnerships of the 2000s. His public-service work includes the Meat Free Monday campaign advocacy and the March 2026 Scouts Cooks Badge relaunch, positioning him as a chef-advocate for UK children’s cookery education. Within the current UK cookery-television cohort Harriott sits alongside peers including James Martin (Saturday Morning ITV) and Prue Leith as defining current UK cookery-broadcasting figures.
Notable Ainsley Harriott work
Several Harriott programmes and products have become reference points in UK cookery television and food marketing. Ready Steady Cook under Harriott’s hosting from 2000 to 2010 defined the UK daytime cookery programme format of the period, and Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook (1995-2000) is widely cited as the defining UK reluctant-cooks format. The Ainsley Harriott Cup Soup range with Batchelors from 2002 became one of the most commercially successful UK chef-brand partnerships. Harriott cookbooks include Ainsley’s Barbecue Bible (1999), Ainsley’s Gourmet Express (2001), Ainsley’s Meals in Minutes (2005), Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen (2017), and Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook (2018). Television output includes Ready Steady Cook (1994-2010), Can’t Cook Won’t Cook (1995-2000), Ainsley’s Gourmet Express (2015), Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen (2017), Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours (2022-present), and Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas (2025-2026).
Ainsley Harriott awards and recognition
- 1994: Joins Ready Steady Cook on BBC One as regular guest chef
- 1995: Hosts Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook on BBC One (through 2000)
- 2000: Replaces Fern Britton as host of Ready Steady Cook (hosts through 2010)
- 2002: Launches Ainsley Harriott Cup Soup range with Batchelors
- 2010: Ready Steady Cook ends on BBC One after 16-year run
- 2011: Strictly Come Dancing Season 9 contestant
- 2017: Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen premieres on ITV
- 2020: Appointed MBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting and culinary arts
- 2022: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours premieres on ITV
- January 2025: Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas launches on ITV and ITVX
- April 2025: City & Guilds Skills Change Lives campaign feature
- 2026: Shortlisted Best Food Programme at 2026 TV Choice Awards; Scouts Cooks Badge relaunch March 2026
Ainsley Harriott impact on UK cookery broadcasting
Harriott’s most concrete contribution is the 16-year Ready Steady Cook run on BBC One from 1994 to 2010, during which he served first as regular guest chef (1994-2000) and then as host (2000-2010). Across the run, Ready Steady Cook defined the UK daytime cookery programme format of the period, and Harriott’s 10-year hosting run placed him at the centre of UK cookery broadcasting across the 2000s. The programme was widely copied in international markets including the United States.
The second contribution is the international travelogue format since 2017. Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen, Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook, Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours and the 2025-2026 Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas together have extended UK travel-cookery documentary across nearly a decade, often with particular focus on Caribbean cuisines reflecting Harriott’s Jamaican heritage. The 2026 TV Choice Awards shortlist for Fantastic Flavours confirms continuing critical recognition.
The third contribution is the public-service and product-brand work across three decades. The Ainsley Harriott Cup Soup range with Batchelors since 2002, the Meat Free Monday campaign advocacy, and the March 2026 Scouts Cooks Badge relaunch position him as one of the most consistent UK chef-advocates for food and children’s cookery education. The 2020 MBE formalised the recognition. Within the current UK cookery-television cohort Harriott sits alongside peers including James Martin, Jamie Oliver and Prue Leith as one of the defining figures.
Ainsley Harriott FAQ
Is Harriott still on television?
Yes. Harriott hosts Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours on ITV (since 2022) and Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas on ITV and ITVX (from January 2025, continuing into 2026). Fantastic Flavours was shortlisted for Best Food Programme at the 2026 TV Choice Awards.
Did Harriott host Ready Steady Cook?
Yes. Harriott joined Ready Steady Cook on BBC One as regular guest chef in 1994, and in 2000 replaced Fern Britton as host, continuing in the role until the programme ended in 2010. The 10-year hosting run made him one of the defining UK daytime cookery presenters of the 2000s.
Is Harriott an MBE?
Yes. Harriott was appointed MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts. The MBE recognised more than three decades of UK cookery-broadcasting and food-advocacy work.
What is Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas?
A 10-part ITV and ITVX travel-cookery series exploring the culinary scene in Nassau and Paradise Island that began airing in January 2025 and continues into early 2026. The series pairs Harriott’s warm presentation style with Caribbean cuisine exploration.
What is the Scouts Cooks Badge?
A children’s cookery badge in the UK Scouts organisation that was relaunched in March 2026. Harriott appeared on BBC Local Radio stations supporting the relaunch, extending his public-service advocacy for UK children’s cookery education into 2026.
What is next for Ainsley Harriott
Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours continues on ITV, Ainsley’s Taste of The Bahamas continues on ITV and ITVX into early 2026, and Harriott continues his advocacy for UK children’s cookery education following the March 2026 Scouts Cooks Badge relaunch. His public Instagram (@ainsleyharriottofficial) is the best source for current updates.
