Bradford cooks are showing off their skills on three television programmes.

Edd Kimber, of Thackley, is a finalist on The Great British Bake Off, which tests home-bakers’ skills, putting them through a series of challenges in disciplines such as Victoria sponge and bread-making.

Presented by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, the programme’s judges are baking writer Mary Berry and baker Paul Hollywood.

Edd, a former pupil of Hanson School, said baking was his passion.

“I’d love to turn it into my career,” he said.

“I’ve loved doing the show. The biggest challenge was doing interviews to camera, but I’ve learned so much.

“My low point was the puddings week, when my suet pudding was awful and I cried on national TV.

“My favourite week was pastry-making. There’s a lot of pressure to come up with recipes and bake them in a limited time, then there’s always a surprise challenge, but it’s been fantastic.”

Davina McDonald, of Tyersal, has reached the semi-final of Britain’s Best Dish in which amateur cooks battle for a £10,000 prize judged by chefs John Burton Race and Ed Baines and wine critic Jilly Goolden.

Davina will compete in a ‘cook off’ next Wednesday. The semi-final is on Thursday and viewers will see on Friday whether she makes the final.

Contestants chose a starter, main course or dessert to make throughout the show. Davina went for the dessert category, and has wowed judges with her chocolate, coffee and rum cake and home-made ice-cream.

“At school I was told to do woodwork instead of domestic science, because I messed up my Swiss Roll,” said Davina, a customer services officer for Housing 21 and an inspirational mentor.

“That knocked my confidence and I didn’t bake until ten years later, when I started taking home-made cakes into the office.

“People loved them and asked me to bake them birthday cakes.

“Now I bake for family and friends, and my chocolate cake is very popular. I try out recipes on my 13-year-old son.

She added: “Being on the programme has boosted my confidence. It’s nerve-wracking presenting food to the judges but I’m thrilled to have got this far.”

Gordon Ramsay is pitting Bradford restaurant Prashad against a big London establishment in Ramsay’s Best Restaurant.

Prashad, a 30-seat vegetarian restaurant on Horton Grange Road, underwent challenges involving secret diners, undercover filming, a surprise coach-load of guests and a final test at Mr Ramsay’s London restaurant.

Now Prashad will go head-to-head with one of the most respected names in the Indian restaurant world, The Brilliant, which has run for 40 years in Southall, west London.

The Great British Bake Off is on BBC2 on Tuesday at 8pm. Ramsay’s Best Restaurant is on Channel 4 on Tuesday at 9pm. Britain’s Best Dish is on ITV on weekdays at 5pm.