Delia Smith's 40-year broadcasting career and contribution to TV cookery, which began with a five-minute pilot in which she made "Alpine eggs" in a hastily assembled BBC studio, was marked on Tuesday night by a Bafta tribute in central London, including an award handed over by Victoria Wood. Asked who would come to her dream dinner party, she nominated Pope Francis – "I would try and do something Argentinian" – corned beef hash, suggested one of her fans. Delia, who recently announced that she was quitting TV to focus on launching her own online cookery school, when asked for her views on modern celebrity chefs, replied: "My food had to be the star… Food isn't theatre … Our problem is we don't think highly enough of it, we have to turn it into something else." She said that while there are lots of food programmes, "what is missing is the basics, young people are afraid to cook". However, she did admit to a favourite: "I really like the Hairy Bikers, because they are entertaining and make me want to eat what they are cooking."
