Delia Smith faces backlash

Delia Smith fans up in arms over new TV show

Delia Smith fans have reacted in horror at her new TV show, How to Cheat at Cooking, which sees the chef championing ready-grated cheese, frozen mashed potato and the like.

Despite the chef's new programme attracting 4.1 million viewers when it debuted on BBC2 on Monday night, message boards have been buzzing since with disgruntled individuals who can't believe what they saw.

On a forum on Delia's own website, one unhappy fan writes: 'Delia... I cannot believe you have sold out! Can't believe I wasted 10 mins of my life watching you put frozen mash on tinned mince... telling us and impelling us to believe that it tasted good!! (What on earth are you on???)'

However, not everyone is being so critical. Another user writes: 'I watched the new programme last night and thought it was great… At least this programme was realistic.'

As for Delia herself, her spokesperson at the BBC told The Telegraph: 'Delia knew there would be a strong reaction. But this show is not designed for people who already know how to cook. The viewing figures speak for themselves.'