Sophie Dahl lands BBC cookery show

Could Sophie Dahl be the new Nigella?

Sophie Dahl has landed her very own cookery show for the BBC.

The former model will go head-to-head with Nigella Lawson as TV's sexiest chef is a new series set to air next year.

The six-episode BBC2 series is being produced by Jamie Oliver's television company, Fresh One Productions, and will be based on Sophie's recent cookbook, Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights.

'Cooking often serves as an emotional barometer, and with this show we will run the gamut - from a solo dinner that suits melancholy to a homecoming feast for 20,' Sophie said yesterday.

'It's cooking with an anecdotal thread - irreverent, unpredictable and not without flaw.'

Sophie's new boss, BBC2 controller Janice Hadlow, added: 'We are delighted to be bringing Sophie's culinary talents to the channel. Not only are her recipes fantastic, she's honest, funny and warm. She’ll be in great company alongside our other home-cooking heroines, Delia and Nigella.'

As for Nigella herself, well, she's not afraid of a little competition.

'What I should tell you about Sophie is that I adore her,' she promises.

Will you tune in to Sophie's new show? Let us know in the comments box below…