SATURDAY Kitchen was left in chaos as celebrity guest Ben Miller was a no show after sleeping through his alarm.
The Cheshire-born actor was absent from the opening segment of the live BBC One programme – hosted by Matt Tebbutt, 51.
The mishap came after a huge BBC shake-up – which saw BBC Breakfast finish early and the Saturday Kitchen start time tweaked to 930am rather than 10am.
And the 30-minute difference was crucial for Ben, 59, whose absence swiftly sparked banter on the foodie series.
Matt quipped how the Death In Paradise actor could “turn his hand to anything – except setting his alarm clock.”
He then added: “Ben Miller is on the way I promise. He’s joining us live any minute now.”
And right on cue, two minutes and 30 seconds into the episode, he rushed on set and promptly gave Matt a hug.
The Primeval star was met by Matt’s greeting of: “Good Lord! Thank you for joining us.”
Ben, dressed in a black top and tan jacket, flashed a smile before he covered his face with his hand and said: “Awkward, awkward!”
Matt then joked: “I bet you haven’t done that walk of shame for a while!” to which he replied: “I have excuses if you want to hear them.”
He continued: “I had too many very strong tonic waters last night … no no, honestly, I don’t drink.
“That’s not the reason. I have jet lag … like I said I have as many excuses as you like.”
He then quipped: “The alarm didn’t go off.”
Ben then told how his food heaven was Middle Eastern food and hell was kimchi.
SHAKE-UP
The BBC Breakfast programme change – which saw the show wrap at 930am instead of 10am – also sparked knock-on effects for weekend TV staple Saturday Kitchen.
BBC Breakfast viewers tuned in to the daily programme at the regular 6am time slot to see Charlie Stayt, 62, fronting the BBC One show alongside Sarah Campbell, 50.
Ben Miller’s career so far
First rising to name in the double act Armstrong and Miller, comedian and actor Ben Miller has had roles in a variety of popular projects. Let’s take a look at some of them:
- Armstrong and Miller: Ben rose to fame as one-half comedy duo Armstrong and Miller, with Alexander Armstrong. The pair’s projects include two self-titled TV shows.
- Johnny English: The comedian and actor first played Bough, sidekick to Rowan Atkinson’s titular secret agent in 2003’s Johnny English. He reprised the role in 2011’s Johnny English Reborn (although his scenes were cut) and returned as a central character in 2018’s Johnny English Strikes Back.
- Primeval: Between 2007 and 2011, Ben played government official James Lester in ITV science-fiction series Primeval. He was one of only three cast members to star in all five series.
- Death in Paradise: Ben played DI Richard Poole, the original British detective assigned to the idyllic Saint Marie in Death in Paradise. He left the show in series three, after the character killed off. Subsequent detectives have included Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon, Ralf Little and Don Gilet.
- Professor T: Based on a Belgian series of the same name, Ben plays Professor Jasper Tempest, a criminologist who helps the police solve crimes. The show also stars Emma Naomi, Frances de La Tour and Sunetra Sarker.
- Suspect: Ben plays Detective Superintendent Richard Groves in this Channel 4 crime drama. The plot of series one saw detective Danny Frater (James Nesbitt) try to uncover the truth behind his daughter’s death.
Yet after a jam-packed show, it was revealed it would wrap half an hour early.
As the clock struck 930am Sarah told viewers: “That’s all from Breakfast for today.”
Charlie then added: “Enjoy whatever you’re doing for the weekend, goodbye now.”
This meant Saturday Kitchen then kicked off at 930am instead of 10am, with the show running until 11am.
From then, Football Focus took over before space was created in the schedule for a 10-minute news segment at 1130am before live coverage of the Women’s League Cup Final was due to start at 1145am.
