National Geographic’s Vikings: The Rise and Fall reinvents the Scandinavian invaders
From popular TV dramas such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom, to Chris Hemsworth’s blockbuster portrayal of the Norse God of Thunder Thor, depictions of the Vikings and their… read more
National Geographic’s Vikings: The Rise and Fall reinvents the Scandinavian invaders
From popular TV dramas such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom, to Chris Hemsworth’s blockbuster portrayal of the Norse God of Thunder Thor, depictions of the Vikings and their culture are all the rage. In 2022, those brutal ninth century Scandinavian invaders could not be more on trend.
Vikings in popular media are often painted as one-note barbarians, merciless and without empathy or rule of law. National Geographic’s transformative new series Vikings: The Rise and Fall hopes to dispel some of the myths, while also bringing their epic escapades to life.
Airing Tuesdays at 9pm, Vikings: The Rise and Fall is the definitive story of the Norse conquerors, from their arrival on British shores to the final battle at Stamford Bridge. The series illustrates the events that changed Britain forever, such as the out-of-the-blue attack on Lindisfarne and the emergence of the vengeful Viking king, Ivar the Boneless. It explains the unique geography and innovation that both aided Viking campaigns and doomed Britain to countless devastating raids.
Check out the promo for Vikings: The Rise and Fall:
Well known accounts, such as the Icelandic Sagas, merge with newer discoveries like the mass Viking graves at Repton to depict a nuanced (and honestly much more interesting) portrayal of the Vikings. Yes, the Vikings valued warriors. They buried even small children in graves with weapons. Yes, some of the violence really was as gruesome as the TV dramas depict (the bloodbath at Portmahomack and the ritual torture of British king Ælla come to mind).
But Vikings also came to Britain to settle, hoping to make the easy weather conditions and acres of arable farmland their permanent home. They wanted to be involved in its politics and they wanted to leave their mark on the country. And they succeeded. British architecture, language and culture all bear Viking influence to this day, and Vikings: The Rise and Fall explains where to look for it.
Vikings: The Rise and Fall is a fresh new documentary series on the Vikings, combining the high-octane drama that fascinates us about the otherworldly warriors with decades of painstaking research. Sometimes, the facts really are as thrilling as the fiction.
Vikings: The Rise and Fall airs Tuesdays at 9pm, only on National Geographic.
National Geographic is available to watch on Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and NOW.
Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa set to play 14th Doctor in new Doctor Who
Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa will portray the 14th Doctor in new episodes of Doctor Who. The Scottish-Rwandan actor is best known for playing Eric Effiong in Netflix’s hit… read more
Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa set to play 14th Doctor in new Doctor Who
Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa will portray the 14th Doctor in new episodes of Doctor Who.
The Scottish-Rwandan actor is best known for playing Eric Effiong in Netflix’s hit teen drama. Gatwa won a Scottish Bafta and a Rose d’Or Award for the role, as well as being nominated for best male performance in a comedy programme for three years running.
Speaking about his casting, Gatwa said: “There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care.
“Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show.”
He will join returning showrunner Russell T Davies on the long-running science fiction series. Davies revived the show in 2005, before making way for Steven Moffat in 2009.
Davies said: “Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds. It’s an honour to work with him, and a hoot, I can’t wait to get started.”
Gatwa’s first episodes as the Doctor won’t air until November 2023, with the role currently in the hands of 13th Doctor Jodie Whittaker. Whittaker is expected to return for at least one more series special in October 2022 before handing over the screwdriver.
Meanwhile, Gatwa is also expected to return for series four of Sex Education, which was commissioned last year.
WATCH: Ant and Dec’s stunning drag transformation on Saturday Night Takeaway
Presenting duo Ant and Dec kickstarted the new season of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway with a spectacular drag performance. Reminding us again why they’re the nation’s favourite… read more
WATCH: Ant and Dec’s stunning drag transformation on Saturday Night Takeaway
Presenting duo Ant and Dec kickstarted the new season of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway with a spectacular drag performance.
Reminding us again why they’re the nation’s favourite TV presenters, Ant and Dec performed alongside RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winners The Vivienne, Lawrence Chaney and Krystal Versace in a television first.
The pair transformed into new drag personas Lady Antoinette and Miss Donna Lee, taking to the stage to perform new charity single ‘We Werk Together’. The new song is available digitally now, with streams and downloads raising funds for UK food poverty charity The Trussell Trust.
Check out the sensational performance in the video below:
While Ant and Dec are new to drag, they’re certainly not new to music. Formerly known as Byker Grove‘s PJ and Duncan, the duo have released sixteen singles and three albums together.
Their biggest hit was 1994’s ‘Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble’, which was later re-released in 2013 for charity. The single topped the UK music charts after a performance on Saturday Night Takeaway.
They also released 2002 World Cup medley ‘We’re on the Ball’, which hit number three in the UK charts.
No word yet on whether Ant and Dec will continue to perform in drag in the future, but we can’t deny it suits them!
Oscars 2022: Who is nominated for film’s biggest prizes?
Western psychological drama The Power of the Dog leads the 2022 Oscar nominations, which were announced yesterday (February 8). The drama, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst, scored… read more
Oscars 2022: Who is nominated for film’s biggest prizes?
Western psychological drama The Power of the Dog leads the 2022 Oscar nominations, which were announced yesterday (February 8).
The drama, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst, scored a whopping 12 nods, including Best Picture and Best Director for Jane Campion. This means the film has broken the record for most Oscar nominations achieved by a film directed by a female director.
Sci-fi epic Dune is a close second with 10 nods, while Belfast and West Side Story have seven apiece.
Here are the 94th Academy Award nominations in full:
Best picture
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
Belfast
Dune
Licorice Pizza
King Richard
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Drive My Car
Nightmare Alley
Best actress
Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)
Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)
Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
Kristen Stewart (Spencer)
Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)
Best actor
Will Smith (King Richard)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)
Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick… Boom!)
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)
Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)
Best supporting actress
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)
Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)
Dame Judi Dench (Belfast)
Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter)
Best supporting actor
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)
Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)
Troy Kotsur (Coda)
Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog)
JK Simmons (Being the Ricardos)
Best director
Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)
Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)
Sir Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car)
Best original screenplay
Licorice Pizza – Paul Thomas Anderson
Belfast – Sir Kenneth Branagh
King Richard – Zach Baylin
Don’t Look Up – Adam McKay (story by McKay and David Sirota)
The Worst Person in the World – Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt
Best adapted screenplay
The Power of the Dog – Jane Campion
The Lost Daughter – Maggie Gyllenhaal
CODA – Sian Heder
Dune – Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth
Drive My Car – Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe
Best animated feature
Encanto
Luca
The Mitchells vs the Machines
Flee
Raya and the Last Dragon
Best documentary feature
Summer of Soul
Flee
Ascension
Attica
Writing with Fire
Best international feature
Drive My Car (Japan)
The Worst Person in the World (Norway)
Flee (Denmark)
The Hand of God (Italy)
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan)
Best original song
No Time to Die – No Time to Die (Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell)
Dos Oruguitas – Encanto (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Be Alive – King Richard (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Dixson)
Belfast – Down to Joy (Van Morrison)
Somehow You Do – Four Good Days (Diane Warren)
Best original score
The Power of the Dog – Jonny Greenwood
Dune – Hans Zimmer
Don’t Look Up – Nicholas Britell
Encanto – Germaine Franco
Parallel Mothers – Alberto Iglesias
Best cinematography
Dune – Greig Fraser
The Power of the Dog – Ari Wegner
The Tragedy of Macbeth – Bruno Delbonnel
Nightmare Alley – Dan Laustsen
West Side Story – Janusz Kaminski
Best visual effects
Dune – Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor, Gerd Nefzer
Free Guy – Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis, Dan Sudick
Spider-Man: No Way Home – Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver
No Time to Die – Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner, Chris Corbould
Best film editing
Dune – Joe Walker
The Power of the Dog – Peter Sciberras
Don’t Look Up – Hank Corwin
King Richard – Pamela Martin
Tick, Tick… Boom! – Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum
Best costume design
Cruella – Jenny Beavan
Dune – Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan
West Side Story – Paul Tazewell
Nightmare Alley – Luis Sequeira
Cyrano – Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran
Best sound
Dune – Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett
West Side Story – Tod A Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy
No Time to Die – Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor
Belfast – Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri
The Power of the Dog – Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb
Best production design
Dune – Patrice Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos
Nightmare Alley – Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
West Side Story – Adam Stockhausen and Rena DeAngelo
The Tragedy of Macbeth – Stefan Dechant and Nancy Haigh
The Power of the Dog – Grant Major and Amber Richards
Best make-up and hairstyling
The Eyes of Tammy Faye – Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh
Dune – Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
Cruella – Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon
Coming 2 America – Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer
House of Gucci – Goran Lundstrom, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Sara Davies talks Dragons’ Den series 19 and her time on Strictly Come Dancing
Award-winning entrepreneur Sara Davies was a regular feature on British TV screens last year, interrogating business pros on Dragons’ Den and wowing audiences on Strictly Come Dancing. Now, Sara’s… read more
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Sara Davies talks Dragons’ Den series 19 and her time on Strictly Come Dancing
Award-winning entrepreneur Sara Davies was a regular feature on British TV screens last year, interrogating business pros on Dragons’ Den and wowing audiences on Strictly Come Dancing.
Now, Sara’s back amongst her fellow Dragons for 2022 with a new series. That’s right, Dragons’ Den returns for a 19th series on Thursday, January 6 at 8pm.
We chatted to Sara about the impact of the pandemic on business, her experiences on the dance floor, and what to expect on Dragons’ Den series 19.
The world has changed so much since you became a Dragon. How have the last couple of years changed the pitches you’ve seen on the show since 2019?
What’s been interesting is we filmed this series in the summer of last year, after a full year of pandemic and lockdowns. We did film the previous series in Covid times, but all the businesses we saw had been recruited before the pandemic happened. What you’re going to see [this series] is people who have invented products that help with the pandemic: people have acknowledged the way the world’s changed and that they can deliver products or services that help with that.
Generally in business a lot of people are just full of doom and gloom [about the pandemic], but what we saw was people being proactive. There’s more money committed in this series than in the 18 series before it, and I honestly think that’s down to the calibre of businesses we’ve seen.
So you would say the pandemic is a good thing for Dragons’ Den?
I think it’s a good thing for business in general. When I started my business, it was in times of real economic prosperity. My business was in crafting and you had all these little craft shops opening up left right and centre. Everyone had cash, banks were loaning out money, everything was brilliant. A few years later, I traded my business through a global recession, and I saw loads of these businesses failed. The ones that are left come out stronger as a result of it, both because they’ve had to weather the storm and also they’ve picked up the opportunities that these failed businesses left behind. We’re seeing that in the den – the real fighters, both showing you how their business can succeed but then also the whites of their eyes.
There’s a new dragon this series – Steven Bartlett. I wonder if you could tell me what it’s like working with him and how he changes the dynamic in the den?
He massively changes the dynamic. When I came in, I was the youngest dragon. I’m a real people pleaser so I didn’t lord it over the other dragons in any way shape or form. He comes in, he’s even younger than me, and it felt really noticeable: the way he dresses, the language he uses, the body language, his mannerisms, and the business examples he drops when he pitches himself with the other entrepreneurs.
[Steven]’s got such a different skillset and comes from such a different world than any of the other Dragons had operated in. When he started to interrogate some of the businesses, I used to sit with my note book and write things down I wanted to look up later.
Were there any new business ideas that just sort of blew your mind this series?
Absolutely. We had some corkers. It was often the simple stuff, where you just look at it and you go, that’s so obvious, why has nobody done that?
In episode one there is a fantastic investment. As soon as they pitch it, it’s kind of a product kind of a service, and I just thought oh my word I am totally gonna be a consumer for this. I want this investment, I’m going to go for it. All five Dragons scrap for it. What a way to start the series.
Are there any products that you’ve discovered from the show that you now use in your everyday life?
There was one product this series which was so awesome. They didn’t pick me – they went for one of the other dragons, but I loved the product and we got free samples. I was using the free samples every day and then I was trying to sell them the other Dragons. I remember Peter saying to me at one point, “wait, you didn’t do that investment did you?” I was like, “no, I just love the product.” You’re really pleased for your colleagues, as they’ve got a great investment. You’re a bit bitter at the time, but you’re pleased for them later.
I was wondering about that. You’ve all got such strong personalities in the den, so is there ever any in-fighting?
It’s a bit like a boardroom setting. [In my business] we’re a husband and wife team. Me and my husband had a board meeting yesterday and there are not many things he and I agree on in our business. It makes for really good drama in our board meetings, yet we can then come out of that and go home and have a cup of tea and everything is normal. We know that to operate in business at a very high level you have to be able to have healthy conflict. That’s where people challenge each other and create results.
It’s the same in the den as it is in the boardroom. We can fight like dragon and dragon, but then as soon as we come out of the den, we have a grown-up conversation about it.
How would you say it’s different being on a judging panel on Dragons’ Den compared to being judged on Strictly Come Dancing?
Worlds apart – I was not ready for the judging on Strictly Come Dancing. The irony: that first dance I did on Strictly was a Dragons’ Den type sketch. So many of my friends rang me afterwards like, it’s like we were watching the screen and it wasn’t you.
I was just so far out of my comfort zone. The best way I can describe it is within business, you don’t always see the real me. You see the me that is appropriate for that situation. I’ve got the armour up – you’re seeing businesswoman Sara.
So what I tried to do when I started dancing was work really hard. I learnt the steps with the armour up, so when those judges say something to me they’re not going to get through it. Actually, it was not letting the armour down that hurt even more, because the comments and the criticisms were so harsh.
Basically what they were saying to me was you haven’t given it your all. I had given it my all in terms of learning the steps but I hadn’t let the vulnerable me go out there. That’s what I had to learn how to do if I was going to make it anywhere in the competition. I couldn’t be businesswoman Sara, I had to go out there and be this real me. Even if that meant being vulnerable, which was really difficult.
Now that you and Deborah [Meaden] have both done Strictly, are you going to try to convince the other Dragons to try it?
I’m sure the next time we’re filming, there will be glasses of wine flowing and we’ll be doing our best. The way Deborah used to talk so passionately about how much she loved her time on the show is a big part of [why I said yes]. She loved the experience so much. All the way through filming, she would be talking to me almost every day to ask how it was going and how I was feeling. She’s been a fantastic emotional support through it.
Dragons’ Den returns for series 19 on BBC One on Thursday, January 6 at 8pm.
REVIEW: National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of Egypt explores Tutankhamun’s biggest secret
The first of a series of brand new episodes of National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of Egypt explores the peculiar tomb of Ancient Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun is one… read more
REVIEW: National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of Egypt explores Tutankhamun’s biggest secret
The first of a series of brand new episodes of National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of Egypt explores the peculiar tomb of Ancient Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun.
Tutankhamun is one of the world’s most well-known Egyptian pharaohs, owing to the discovery of his well-preserved tomb in the 1920s and the global exhibitions of its many treasures. Despite his fame in the modern era, the boy king was sickly and reigned Egypt for only nine years. He was buried in the Valley of the Kings, near Thebes, in a tomb that was surprisingly small for his status.
Lost Treasures of Egypt looks at a big mystery regarding the newly excavated tomb: namely, why was Tutankhamun’s tomb so unimpressive?
Archaeologist Ezz El Noby explores a newly discovered tomb
We meet experts including Aliaa Ismail, who use cutting edge technology to digitally recreate Tutankhamun’s tomb and compare it to that of his successor, Ay. We visit Gebel El-Silsila, where we meet Maria Nilsson and John Ward, who are trying to uncover a temple built by Tutankhamun to shed light on his political legacy. Meanwhile in Saqqara, Tarek Tawfik and Ola El Aguizy visit the tombs of Tutankhamun’s military elite to investigate the type of tomb typical of the period. And in the Asasif Necropolis in Luxor, makes the surprising discovery of a servant with a larger tomb than their own pharaoh.
It’s a lot to examine in one episode, but Lost Treasures of Egypt does a fine job of following the work of top researchers and bringing it all together. By exploring different facets of Tutankhamun’s reign, viewers get an in-depth look at how discoveries are made and linked to create cohesive conclusions. The result is engaging and informative, while being easily broken down into digestible pieces.
The well-preserved mummy of the boy king Tutankhamun
The highs and lows of the archaeology teams are a delight to see, bringing across both the difficulty and danger of excavating some of these relics while also celebrating the fruits of their labour when a discovery is made. The enthusiasm with which the search teams have for their field makes for great TV, and it’s a privilege to watch as they make some of the biggest discoveries in Egyptology in modern years.
The technology being used in the field is also fascinating to watch first hand. Ismail’s use of 3D modelling reveals Ancient Egyptian tombs like we’ve never seen them before, offering interesting new insights into the boy king’s life and death.
Lost Treasures of Egypt is a must-see for anyone who fancies themselves an Egyptologist, as well as history buffs and documentary lovers. It’s a terrific insight into the field of archaeology, delivered concisely and by the people making the discoveries at the forefront of the field.
Check out this sneak peek from the new series:
The brand new season of Lost Treasures of Egypt premieres on National Geographic, Sundays at 7pm. National Geographic is available on Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, NOW and TVPlayer.
Explore Ancient Egypt’s greatest mysteries with National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of Egypt
The groundbreaking documentary series following archaeologists at the forefront of Ancient Egyptian research, Lost Treasures of Egypt, returns to National Geographic on Sunday 7th November at 7pm. The brand… read more
Explore Ancient Egypt’s greatest mysteries with National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of Egypt
The groundbreaking documentary series following archaeologists at the forefront of Ancient Egyptian research, Lost Treasures of Egypt, returns to National Geographic on Sunday 7th November at 7pm.
The brand new season offers viewers unprecedented access to the top experts in the field of Egyptology as they do what they do best: unlock Ancient Egypt’s greatest secrets.
Eight new episodes follow archaeologists as they battle with difficult conditions, use cutting edge technology to reveal otherwise undecipherable inscriptions, and make some of the biggest discoveries of their careers.
The first episode explores the reign of one of Ancient Egypt’s most well-known pharaohs: the boy king Tutankhamun. Crowned at the age of nine, he died only nine years later before being buried in a tomb seemingly unfit for purpose. Could it be due to his father Akhenaten’s unpopular legacy?
The pyramids of Giza
Episode two examines Egypt’s Pyramid Age, during which 20 pyramids were built across four centuries. None of the subsequent pyramids were as grand as the first – the Great Pyramid of Giza, the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu. Why was this, and what does that say about the later Pyramid Age kings?
Also to come are new insights into the life of celebrated pharaoh Ramses the Great, who reigned Egypt for 66 years from 1279 BC, expanding its borders and infrastructure. Believed by experts to be Ancient Egypt’s most successful and often feared pharaoh, episode three unveils the reasons for this reputation – and whether it is justified.
An inscription depicting Ramses’ prowess on the battlefield
Episode four explains the rise of mummification as a practice – why did the Egyptians store so much faith in the process and how was it achieved? Next, we take a look at the secrets of Egypt’s queens, including Nefertari and Cleopatra, who managed to exert their authority even in a male-dominated society. And of course, where there were treasures there were also thefts – episode six reveals Ancient Egypt’s real life tomb raiders.
We return to Tutankhamun in episode seven, which asks how he filled his tomb with so many priceless treasures. And finally, the series concludes with a hunt for Cleopatra’s long lost tomb, exploring along the way her fascinating reign and intriguing relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony.
As always, some of the biggest names in Egyptology are on hand to decipher all the evidence in an unmissable new series.
Check out this sneak peek from the new series:
Tune in to a brand new season of Lost Treasures of Egypt on National Geographic on Sunday 7th November at 7pm. National Geographic is available on Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, NOW and TVPlayer.
No one is safe in chilling Coronation Street trailer for next week’s episodes
A new trailer for Coronation Street has teased terrifying events to come. A week of deadly drama hits the cobbles from October 18, with the promo warning to “Watch… read more
No one is safe in chilling Coronation Street trailer for next week’s episodes
A new trailer for Coronation Street has teased terrifying events to come.
A week of deadly drama hits the cobbles from October 18, with the promo warning to “Watch your back” and that “No one is safe”.
In first look scenes from the upcoming episodes, drug lord Harvey escapes an overturned prison van in a devastating storm. Elsewhere, Abi attempts revenge on Corey in a spooky house of horrors, before the pair end up trapped together in a drain shaft.
The storm proves relentless, with further scenes depicting the ground opening up beneath Jenny – as well as a terrified and costumed Leanne face to face with the murderous Harvey.
The episodes form part of ITV’s Super Soap Week, with at least one character confirmed to perish in a shock twist.
Speaking about the episodes, Coronation Street producer Iain McLeod said: “We set out to make a week of breathless, brilliant drama – and boy, have our outstanding cast, crew, design team and writers delivered!
The week is jammed packed with twists and turns, and astonishing visual spectacle. It also has heart, heroism and humour in the most unexpected places.”
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm.
RECAP: Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted – How the celebrity chef created those stunning Texan dishes
Series three of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted kicked off last night (Wednesday 15th September), showcasing sensational Texan landscapes, flavours and food. The series sees Gordon Ramsay travel to international food… read more
RECAP: Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted – How the celebrity chef created those stunning Texan dishes
Series three of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted kicked off last night (Wednesday 15th September), showcasing sensational Texan landscapes, flavours and food.
The series sees Gordon Ramsay travel to international food hotspots to discover new ingredients and do battle with local chefs. In the first episode, Gordon challenges award-winning Texan chef Justin Yu to a cook off, before travelling across the state to source unique ideas, ingredients and flavours.
His first stop is meeting Justin, who quickly puts Gordon to work harvesting mesquite wood. Mesquite is a native tree to the dryer American states, which is commonly used for smoking meats in Texas.
Next, Gordon is off to find the “best beef anywhere in Texas”. His efforts lead him to Markham, where he meets rancher Clint Radley, as well as Clint’s daughters Maddie and Meredith. It becomes clear pretty quickly that wrangling cattle is not Gordon’s forte, and neither is riding a horse. Nonetheless, Gordon secures rib eye steak for his feast.
Gordon goes exotic with his next stop, meeting survival expert Bob Hansler in Runge to hunt rattlesnakes. This proves a more proactive task than Gordon expects, as Hansler is legally blind. With some difficulty, Gordon does catch a snake and the pair grill it over a fire. Apparently, the texture is like chicken. It won’t ever be a dining staple, but it is a pretty interesting local ingredient.
Next up is meeting Hansler’s daughter Bree, who teaches Gordon what ingredients can be foraged from the forest. These include wild pecans, which are sweeter and smaller than standard pecans, prickly pear cactus fruit (called tuna and not to be confused with the fish) and sweet wild onions.
For his next big dish, Gordon recruits local hunter Ric Rosser to help him acquire local pork. Wild feral hogs are a pest in Texas, as they love to tear up crops and land. They’re also very difficult to catch, as Gordon goes home empty-handed even after dousing himself in a special homebrew designed to make him more appealing to the hogs. Nonetheless, Ric agrees to help get Gordon the meat for the dish.
Finally, Gordon seeks to incorporate some Tex Mex flavours into his feast. He meets local chef Emmanuel Chavez, who explains how to make tortillas from blue corn. He also picks some pequin peppers to add a bit of spice to the proceedings.
As Gordon and Justin prepare to face off, Gordon heightens the stakes. If Justin wins, Gordon will don a cowboy hat. If Gordon wins, Justin will wear a Scottish kilt. Both promise not to lose.
All of the efforts made in the episode come to fruition with a selection of delicious dishes. Both chefs prepare three dishes. Gordon makes pork ribs, smoked and grilled with barbecue sauce and topped with toasted pecans. Then there’s grilled ribeye steak with coffee ancho rub, which he serves with chimmichurri. And finally, there’s the rattlesnake, which Gordon rolls in cornmeal and grills before serving it in a hog bone broth soup with sweet onions on top.
Justin prepares his signature dish, chilli, but with wild boar instead of his usual venison. He also chooses beef for his second dish, combining grilled hanger steaks with baked potatoes loaded with the boar liver and heart and marinaded in whisky. And his final dish, after a bit of bargaining with Gordon, is tostadas – made with the same blue corn tortillas that Gordon sought out for himself.
The final result is absolutely mouthwatering, and one wishes they could have a place on a judging panel made of the same Texans Gordon met along the journey. The next episode looks set to be just as delicious, as Gordon visits Portugal to challenge local chef, Kiko Martins, to create the perfect feast for the Mayor of Nazaré. We can’t wait to see what Gordon comes up with next.
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted season three airs Wednesdays at 9pm, only on National Geographic.
REVIEW: Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted returns for a bigger, bolder, tastier Texan adventure
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is famous for his Michelin Star-winning food, his formidable television presence and liberal use of expletives. This Wednesday on National Geographic at 9pm, he’s back… read more
REVIEW: Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted returns for a bigger, bolder, tastier Texan adventure
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is famous for his Michelin Star-winning food, his formidable television presence and liberal use of expletives. This Wednesday on National Geographic at 9pm, he’s back for a new series of cooking expedition series Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, which shows the chef out of his element like you’ve never seen him before.
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted is part travelogue, part survival series and part cooking show. It celebrates the landscape, history and culture of the places it visits, while also offering up spectacular culinary experiences. Season three picks up in Texas, where Gordon makes a bet with James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu that one of them can cook a meal to impress the locals.
The first episode sees Gordon embark on a several adventures to source local ingredients, including herding cows while riding an uncooperative horse, tackling an angry rattlesnake and hunting down feral hogs in the black of night. He’s taught to forage in the forest like a local and even grind down blue corn to make an authentic tortilla. It’s not quite the controlled, authoritative presence that we’ve become accustomed to from Gordon – and that’s really entertaining. Those who want the trademark bleeping, worry not, there’s still a lot of that.
Through food, Gordon creates a wonderful tribute to Texas, posing the question of what it means to be Texan. The episode celebrates the use of local ingredients while highlighting techniques and flavours that might be new to the audience. It also celebrates the hardy nature of Texans, who pride themselves on being “bigger, bolder and tougher” – just like their flavours. They’re also not afraid to let their opinions be known, making them the perfect judges for the ultimate cooking showdown in the Lone Star State.
There’s much more to come from the series, which is fully global with visits to Portugal, Croatia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Iceland also on the itinerary. If the passion with which the show has explored Texan cuisine is anything to go by, it’s going to be a thrilling and mouth-watering adventure.
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted season three starts Wednesday, September 15 on National Geographic at 9pm.