Let's Do Lunch with Gino & Mel is a British daytime television programme which aired live on ITV from 2011 until 2017 as part of ITV Food, presented by Gino D'Acampo and Melanie Sykes. D'Acampo cooks various food items, whilst Sykes does the main presenting of the show. The show mixed food with celebrity chat. In each episode, a celebrity guest appeared to assist the hosts and chat to them about their latest projects.
Alongside the main show aired a pre-recorded Christmas series known as Let's Do Christmas with Gino & Mel (2012–2017), which saw D'Acampo cooking Christmas food, still with celebrity guests and chat. There were three series of the Christmas show.Gino and Mel Return Let’s Do-Lunch and Let’s Do Christmas 2013
Format
Gino's Masterclass In some episodes, Gino shared his expertise with the viewers with his top tips on various topics. These included knife skills, tomatoes, bacon, pastry, pasta, rice, chicken, Yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, sausages and meat.
Challenge Gino In every episode, Gino had to take part in a food-related challenge. Some of them were attempts to get Gino a Guinness World Record. For the Christmas series, these tasks included Irish Coffee making, eating Brussels sprouts and making Chocolate truffles.
Sometimes there was no challenge, and etiquette expert William Hanson joined the show to talk about subjects such as Royal dining, wedding etiquette or restaurant manners.
In the first and second series, Gino's challenger received a tea towel with the printed text on it which says "I challenged Gino and all I got was this rubbish tea towel". In the third and fourth series, the challenger received a "Let's Do Lunch" lunchbox.
Transmissions Series Start date End date Episodes 1 8 August 2011 2 September 2011 19 2 9 July 2012 31 August 2012 29 3 1 July 2013 26 July 2013 20 4 14 July 2014 8 August 2014 20
Episodes aired daily at 12:30pm for an hour when Loose Women took their summer break
Episode guide
Series 1
Original air date Celebrity guest Gino's Challenge Quick 5-minute recipe Dish of the Day Audience options/choice 8/8/2011 Martin Kemp Onion volcano Cheese sandwich Italian pie and mash Chicken in breadcrumbs with tomato salsa and spicy spinach (Won) Chicken in white wine and tomato sauce (Lost) 9/8/2011 Jane McDonald Nettle Eating 'Whatever you've got in your fridge frittata' Posh fish in pastry Italian chocolate and nut cake (Won) Ice cream cake with nougat and amaretto (Lost) 10/8/2011 Peter Andre Eating A raw Onion Spaghetti Hoops and mash Barbecue surf and turf with pasta salad Italian-style spring rolls at your request (Won) Baked aubergines with spinach and Parmesan (Lost) 11/8/2011 Stefan Booth Milking a Sheep Spaghetti with courgette and lemon zest Baked Alaska Pizza vesuvio (Won) Lamb burgers with spicy tomato and red pepper relish (Lost) 12/8/2011 Joe Pasquale Toast Italian bull's testicles Roasted chicken with rosemary (Won) Roast Beef (Lost) 15/8/2011 Jason Donovan Lemon eating- Mason "Clap Clap" Pye Leftover chicken pasta Steak with blue cheese sauce and chips Salmon with lemon thyme crust and potato salad (Won) Fish pie (Lost) 16/8/2011 Craig Revel Horwood Garlic Eating Pea and parsley soup Italian sausage and polenta mash Apple cobbler pie (Won) Chicken pie (Lost) 17/8/2011 Jodie Prenger To master sabrage Five-spice beans on toast Triple chocolate chilli brownie Meatballs and pasta (Won) Salmon pasta bake (Lost) 18/8/2011 Christopher Biggins Stack cups Marmite mac and cheese Calves liver with roasted cherry tomatoes Chicken saltimbocca (Won) Sweet and sour pork chops with mustard mash (Lost) 19/8/2011 Debbie Rush Drinking Ketchup Tuna pasta with olives and cherry tomatoes Strawberry pavlova Roast lamb with lemon potatoes (Won) Roast rib of beef with honey and lemon zest (Lost) 22/8/2011 Alex James Chilli Eating Cheats' Shepherd's pie Italian brunch Italian chicken curry (Won) Chicken and prawn kebabs (Lost) 23/8/2011 Josie Gibson Speed Milk Drinking Borletti bean soup Spicy chicken salad Lamb hot pot (Won) Neapolitan meatloaf (Lost) 24/8/2011 Joe Swash Noodle pulling Lunch in a wrap Spaghetti carbonara Risotto balls with spicy tomato (Won) Italian-style paella (Lost) 25/8/2011 Tameka Empson Latte art Spaghetti with garlic, olive and chilli Tiramisu Italian toad-in-the-hole (Won) Creamy sausage ragu (Lost) 26/8/2011 Stacey Solomon Speed Burger Eating Prawn cocktail on crispy garlic bread Chicken in chilli sauce with Mexican rice Roast beef with mustard (Won) Pork in pastry (Lost) 30/8/2011 Michelle Collins Cracking eggs Corned Beef baguette Seared salmon stir-fry BBQ citrus and honey chicken (Won) BBQ lamb kebabs (Lost) 31/8/2011 Sally Lindsay Tablecloth Five-minute risotto Pork chop cacciatore Bacon, cheese and potato bake (Won) Chicken wrapped in bacon with butternut mash (Lost) 1/9/2011 Carol Vorderman Oyster eating Sausages with tomato sauce Roasted sea bass with Italian salsa Classic lasagne (Won) Italian-style fish bake (Lost) 2/9/2011 Beverley Knight Make the most ravioli in two minutesA Tagliatelle in creamy tartare sauce Swordfish with wild mushroom risotto Spicy roast leg of lamb (Won) Roast pork belly (Lost)
AGino broke the Guinness World Record
Series 2
Original air date Celebrity guest(s) Gino's Challenge Quick 5-minute recipe Dish of the Day Audience options/Choice 9/7/2012 Jason Manford Playing the red pepper and courgette Trumpet with the London vegetable orchestra The "Ultimate" fish finger sandwich Beef wellington Honey lemon roasted chicken with potatoes and broccoli (Won) Caramelised lamb with butternut squash, mash and summer vegetables (Lost) 10/7/2012 Alex Jones Guess the TV Commercial star Tinned Soup Fish in a bag with fennel and oranges Chicken Kiev with hedgehog potatoes (Won) Chilli con carne (Lost) 11/7/2012 Theo Paphitis Boning and slicing a smoked salmon The "Perfect" Cheese Omelette Smoky pan-fried squid with a chorizo and bean salad Sticky toffee pudding with homemade banana ice cream (Won) Nutty chocolate meringue cake (Lost) 12/7/2012 Kerry Katona Teppanyaki challenge Pesto gnocchi with cream cheese Healthy sweet and sour chicken with egg-fried rice Fish stew with garlic croutons (Won) Crispy salmon with herb sauce (Lost) 13/7/2012 Cheryl Fergison Pizza toppings Pesto gnocchi with cream cheese Moroccan vegetable pie Creamy butternut squash with a warm salad (Won) Blue cheese and pine-nut risotto (Lost) 16/7/2012 Joanna Page Pea shooting Left-over chicken lasagne Slow-cook beef curry Pork wrapped in bacon with mustard sauce (Won) Lamb chops with homemade mint sauce (Lost) 17/7/2012 Claire Richards Afternoon tea etiquette challenge with William Hanson Tuna sandwich Thai-style chicken burger Four-cheese pasta bake (Won) Spaghetti bolognaise (Lost) 18/7/2012 Emma Bunton and Jade Jones Japanese Ice Balls Speedy minestrone with garlic croutons Red velvet cake Sticky ribs with corn on the cob and potato salad (Won) Mexican fajitas (Lost) 19/7/2012 Jenny Eclair Walking on eggs Sausage and bean casserole Antipasto Summer fish pie with a green bean and rocket salad (Won) Moussaka (Lost) 20/7/2012 Ann Widdecombe Pizza Acrobatics Mexican-styled fried eggs Arctic Roll Roasted pork with roast potatoes and red cabbage (Won) Summer roast beef with Tuscan beans (Lost) 23/7/2012 Joe Pasquale Chopping carrots for a World Record Eggy crumpets with ham and cheese Flourless chocolate cake Chinese chilli chicken with coriander rice (Won) Crispy beef noodle stir fry (Lost) 24/7/2012 Miriam Margolyes Guess the TV Commercial star Burritos Crusty herb salmon with a chive and butter sauce Spinach and ricotta cannelloni (Won) Cottage pie (Lost) 25/7/2012 Brian Dowling Wine Glass Music Salad with poached eggs Summer BBQ Steak and chips with peppercorn sauce (Won) Pork chop (Lost) 26/7/2012 Rav Wilding The Science of Food Chicken and bacon club sandwich Healthy lamb samosas with green coconut chutney Peach and white chocolate tart (Won) Roasted peach meringue roulade (Lost) 27/7/2012 Fatima Whitbread Sugar Ribbon Pulling Green vegetable curry Olympic picnic Chicken with tomato and tarragon sauce (Won) Roasted spatchcock chicken (Lost) 13/8/2012 Nick Knowles Running across Custard A philly cheese sandwich Aubergine parmegiana Chinese sweet and sour pork balls with coriander rice (Won) Chicken tagine with lemon couscous (Lost) 14/8/2012 Amy Childs Malaysian Tea Pulling Poor Man's Pasta Feta cheese, watermelon and basil salad Stuffed roast chicken thighs with sweet potato wedges (Won) Sausages braised in cider with garlic potatoes (Lost) 15/8/2012 Peter Andre Guess the TV Commercial star Loaded Nachos Melting chocolate truffle cake with raspberries and cream Traditional Calzone Napoletano pizza (Won) Spaghetti Tart (Lost) 16/8/2012 Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford Food Magic Sweetcorn fritters with bacon, avocado and summer salsa Surf and Turf Gino's mum's upside down orange sponge (Won) Baked cheesecake with amaretto and raisins (Lost) 17/8/2012 Keith Lemon Oral juggling Simple Pasta Salad Tomato bruschetta, chicken drumsticks and an Italian pasty Salmon fishcakes with poached eggs and white wine sauce (Won) Eggs Royale with a cheats' hollandaise sauce (Lost) 20/8/2012 Charlene Tilton Eating 6 hot wingsB Leftover chicken kebabs Rhubarb and custard tart with clotted cream BBQ lamb with a pea and mint salad (Won) Chilli pesto fish fillets with green beans and new potatoes (Lost) 21/8/2012 Russell Grant Guess the TV Commercial star Fast spicy store-cupboard noodles Roast chicken with 40 cloves of garlic with tagliatelle Zingy lemon meringue pie (Won) A boozy summer trifle (Lost) 22/8/2012 Alex James Carving potatoes Cheesy peas on toast Baked fish with summer roast vegetables Strawberry shortcake stack with lemon curd ice cream (Won) Strawberry knickerbocker glory with brandy snap biscuits (Lost) 23/8/2012 Stacey Solomon Chopping Peppers in a minute Cheese and bean quesadillas Spicy fish and chips with minty mushy peas and potato wedges Turkey and basil meatballs with tomato sauce and bacon (Won) Bang bang turkey with warm broccoli and noodle salad (Lost) 24/8/2012 Rufus Hound Making pottery with Ice Cream Linguine puttanesca Baked eggs with brie, mushrooms, spring onions and pancetta The Ultimate cheeseburger (Won) Chicken korma (Lost) 28/8/2012 Jane McDonald Eating a bowl of pasta for a World Record Chicken with mustard and cream Summer roast pork belly with apple salsa Prawn chow mein noodles with sesame prawn toast (Won) Pasta shells with sausage and broccoli (Lost) 29/8/2012 Gemma Collins No challenge, instead a Royal dining feature with William Hanson Boston Baked Beans Italian-style Paella Chicken, bacon and mushroom stuffed crepes with a pea and radish salad (Won) Italian picnic pie (Lost) 30/8/2012 Lynda Bellingham Guess the TV Commercial star Corned Beef hash Linguine vongole Coconut prawn curry with garlic naan bread (Won) Thai Chicken soup with vegetable noodles (Lost) 31/8/2012 Alan Carr Running across Custard for a World RecordA Smoked mackerel kedgeree Arrabiata meatloaf Beer baked chicken with jewelled cous cous (Won) Artichoke and spinach tart with radish salad (Lost)
AGino broke the Guinness World Record BGino did not attempt this challenge
Series 3
Original air date Celebrity guest(s) Gino's Challenge Quick 5-minute recipe Dish of the Day Audience options/Choice 1/7/2013 Ashley Roberts Walk across 7 ft of broken wine bottles with bare feet Hot chicken sandwich with quick coleslaw Sticky chocolate and pecan brownies Rib eye steak with blue cheese butter and onion rings (Won) Pork chops with mustard and cider sauce (Lost) 2/7/2013 Russell Kane Eat 80g of Watercress in less than 49.68seconds Simple fluffy Omelette Raspberry Ripple Cheesecake Gino's Classic lasagne (Won)