KEY POINTS:
Call the PC police, I'm handing myself in! Lockwood Smith hasn't been an influence, honest, it's just after seeing this pictorial evidence of bulky boxer Shane Cameron in the kitchen with baking buddy Mark Sainsbury attempting to make Kiwi favourite bread and butter pudding, my suspicions have been confirmed - white men can't cook. Or rather, celebrity men can't cook.
Bill and Ben were the same. Check them out here in their entire culinary garb - starched chef hats and pretty frilly pinnies - watching in awe while Mother Hen Katrina Hobbs bakes a lemon meringue pie. It's cute, if it wasn't so pathetic really.
The phrase too many cooks can spoil the broth, didn't seem to apply yesterday at the Hyatt Hotel where dozens of local celebrities converged to the hotel's commercial kitchen in Martha Stewart mode to whip up their favourite dessert. No, it wasn't some sort of food television special for Julie Christie's Living channel, but rather a feel-good cook-in to raise money for the Red Cross and to launch the charity's new cookbook.
(Click here for photos taken at the event.)
About 300 people attended the star-studded luncheon, including a who's-who list of schlebs from Kerre Woodham who was a brilliant MC, boxer Shane Cameron, Miriama Smith, former MP Katherine Rich, Mark Sainsbury, Greer Robson, Warrior Logan Swann, Monty Betham, Sally Ridge and Adam Parore, Bridgette O'Sullivan, Jordan Luck, Paul Holmes, Susan Wood, Katrina Hobbs, Bill and Ben from Pulp Sport, Olympic swimmer Moss Burmester, Dai Henwood, NZ's Got Talent's Paul Ellis, Mike Chunn, Lana Coc-Kroft with her gorgeous wee daughter, NZ Breakers star Oscar Forman, plus Fleur Saville from Shorty St who was there with her onscreen mum Alison Quigan and onscreen sister Faye Smythe.
Smythe, looking gorgeous in a sexy shimmery satin dress, snuggled up to her onscreen/off-screen love Te Kohe Tuhaka at the table next to me. It was all rather sweet really, only the lovebirds mustn't have been feeling particularly charitable about sharing the love because they refused requests to get their piccie taken together.
Don't they know they scored their free tickets because of their schleb status? It's for charity, for goodness sake. That's. Why. They. Were. There. Why is it such a burden for some stars to play the game? If they don't want their piccie taken, or if they want to stay out of the limelight, don't accept the free ticket in their celebrity capacity.
Meanwhile, all the other schlebs were more than happy to pose and do their bit for the great cause. We'll run all the celebrity shots in Spy in the Herald on Sunday, but here's some exclusive behind-the-scenes shots of our favourite celebs in the kitchen while they're attempting to bake their dessert. Check them out here. Bridgette O'Sullivan and Sally Ridge were unofficially voted the best with their rhubarb and ginger sponge (pictured above).
Click here for photos taken at the event.
Rachel Glucina
Pictured above: Sally Ridge and Bridgette O'Sullivan make a great rhubarb and ginger sponge.