Most controversial Come Dine With Me cheats

Winners never cheat and cheaters never win (except, the one time they did) (Picture: Channel Four)

Since its launch in 2005, Come Dine With Me has given the nation some unforgettable telly – including disastrous meals, memorable contestants, and meme-worthy moments.

It’s proven so popular that there have been countless spin-offs, including Couples Come Dine With Me and Celebrity Come Dine With Me, where we get to see inside the homes (and kitchens) of the rich and famous.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. As with any competition in life, there’s always a few who think they can pull a fast one to get ahead.

Let’s revisit some of Come Dine With Me’s cheats…

Which Come Dine With Me contestants have cheated?

So, not every Come Dine With Me contestant had the most confidence in their own cooking, preferring instead to rely on the skills of someone else.

Having never seen the Come Dine With Me rulebook, it’s not known if a contestant has to actually cook everything themselves, but they should at least be transparent if they don’t.

Contestants are expected to admit when they haven’t made something from scratch (Picture: Channel 4)

Here’s a few times that didn’t happen…

Keeley (season 2)

Trainee actress Keeley from Essex had just moved house, didn’t have any cooking utensils and claimed that asking a local restaurant to prepare her food was the only solution.

She had to rely on her acting skills to get one over on her fellow contestants.  

She won with 36 points – but she did also confide in one of her guests that she wasn’t cooking everything herself.

They didn’t seem to mind as they were getting top-quality restaurant food for free!

Deborah (season 6)

Deborah told a bold, brazen lie about making her own peppercorn sauce – but there’s two things that work in her favour here.

One, she felt guilty about it.

Two, the other contestants proved they wouldn’t really know the difference, after she convinced them it was homemade by revealing she made it with ‘cream, Dijon mustard and a little bit of olive oil.’

Tina (season 35)

Tina – who appeared to blame most things on her injured foot – had to ‘fess up to serving her guests ready-made food.

As Dave Lamb put it in his sarcastic voiceover, Tina served ‘curry from a jar, microwaved rice and shop-bought flat bread.’

Charles (season 37)

A bit more forgivable than Tina’s microwaveable meals, Charles at least served homemade bhajis.

Unfortunately, they were made at someone else’s home as he had them delivered from the local pub.

When is Come Dine With Me on?

New episodes of Come Dine With Me air weeknights on Channel 4 at 5pm.

Couples Come Dine With Me is available to watch on All4.

MORE : Has anyone ever scored zero on Come Dine With Me?

MORE : When are new episodes of Come Dine with Me airing?

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