Cooking for four complete strangers in London is anthropologist Linda Shanson, starting off the five-dinner challenge with 16 dishes from around the world

Linda may have starred on theatre and television but she’s never before cooked a dinner party. She’s pinning her hopes on an “Italian” and “organic” menu, seeking inspiration from her best friend and a favourite local restaurant. Linda is second in the line up on the Come Dine With Me celebrity special.

Anneka’s more used to being wined and dined than getting her hands dirty, but still opts for an adventurous menu full of Mediterranean flavour, including a Catalan Paella in the celebrity special

Our celebrities on the celebrity special have bonded well – with the exception of restaurant critic Toby Young. His acerbic remarks have not gone unnoticed and he’s not been winning friends.

Hoping to wipe the floor with the competition on the celeb special is Aggie Mackenzie: she’s the co-presenter of ‘How Clean Is Your House’ and former Associate Editor of Good House Keeping Magazine…so her guests have very high expectations of her home and cooking.

71-year-old Terry White from Liverpool hopes to win over four complete strangers with his classic Cordon Bleu menu. He’s been cooking for over 40 years, but now he’ll have to learn some new tricks.

It’s the second gathering in Liverpool and tonight’s host is fishmonger Dan Redfern. Super competitive, he tries to impress his guests by spending £200 on alcohol alone to accompany an ambitions four course meal and an array of fish canapés.

Tonight it’s Nikki O’Leary’s turn to have a shot at the £1000 prize in Liverpool – but it’s not going to be easy because she’s planning to serve a three course vegan meal to four meat loving food connoisseurs.

Customer Service Manger Ian Cook, in Liverpool, tries to grab the top prize by planning his cooking as a military operation. Armed with the freshest ingredients, his own recipes and a superb knowledge of his critical guests, he tries to win them over one by one, by appeasing their particular tastes.

It’s the final night of the culinary stand off in Liverpool and it’s the turn of etiquette queen and Royalist, Margaret Twemlow. She has a hard act to follow, after a week featuring some of the highest scores seen on Come Dine With Me. But Margaret has a plan which just might put her in the lead.

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It’s the start of five days of stiff culinary competition in London. Cooking for four complete strangers tonight is anthropologist Linda Shanson. She’s planned her menu to reflect her well travelled past, with no less than sixteen dishes from around the world.

It’s day two in London and tonight fishmonger Jonathan Norris is entertaining. He’s passionate about all things fish, and when he lays his eyes on a prize turbot, it’s love at first sight.

Night three in London and it’s the turn of seventy year old opera singer Patricia Varley who’s hoping to impress her guests with a retro menu of dinner party hits straight out of the seventies.

It’s the fourth day of the competition in London and tonight is the turn of Italian estate agent John Santamaria.

It’s the last night of the competition and our five London food lovers are about to find out who’s won that £1,000 first prize. Tonight’s host is architect, surveyor and property developer Richard Whitaker. Richard is a stickler for detail and when it comes to food everything has to be just so.

Fancy Dress company owner Julia Knight serve up a mexican theme Dinner Party.

Postman Grahm Fox aims for the £100 prize but there's a crab bone in the fish cakes!

Holistic Therapist Patsy serves up a spicy caribbean menu.

Erotic dancer Michele cooper trys to impresse her guests with chicken hotpot.

Half French Web designer Danny Fletcher trys to impress his guests with an all french menu.