Knives out for TV diners

Four amateur cooks from Wolverhampton will be getting the knives out - and not just in the kitchen - when they battle it out on television's cattiest cooking show Come Dine With Me.

Farida Kalifa, Mike Brett, Lee Pritchett and Natalie Middleton will be appearing on the hit Channel 4 show tomorrow.

The hour-long programme will see them each host a three-course dinner party in their own home and have their efforts secretly marked out of 10 by the guests. The person who serves up the finest food and most amiable atmosphere will win £1,000 cash and the all-important title of best homegrown cook.

Channel 4 bosses today described the Wolverhampton contestants as "super-competitive".

A show spokesman said: "There are desserts thrown, insults hurled and points lost in the grim battle to win the title and the prize.

"But there are times when confidence can be misread as arrogance, and some of the tactics used in this week's competition prove hard to swallow, especially when beautician Farida is insulted on night one by Mike, who in turn is gunning for cocky salesman Lee. Meanwhile, Lee rapidly decides that daddy's girl Natalie can be swept away in the competition."

The show, which came from Birmingham just two weeks ago, will be aired at 8pm tomorrow. Channel 4 is keeping the full details of the episode under wraps but promotional photographs show the diners dressed in brightly-coloured Hawaiian shirts around a table of exotic cuisine.

More than three million people tune into Come Dine With Me every week. The programme throws four strangers together who each take turns at hosting dinner parties.

The show used to be on in the afternoon but has now made the switch to evening TV. Viewers can follow the fortunes of the city group at 8pm tomorrow.