by Emma Grove

It was a shock for 35-year-old Daniel Bowman when he found out he was taking part in Come Dine With Me - because his wife had applied for him.

The keen cook, from Minster, said the first he knew about it was when the show contacted him. Mr Bowman said his wife Tash, 31, applied as she got sick of him watching cooking shows on the television and telling the contestants how to do things.

Mr Bowman said: "Tash thought 'right, put your money where your mouth is', and applied for me. I have always enjoyed cooking - but it was a bit of a shock."

Prison officer Mr Bowman battles it out for the cash prize on Sunday, November 22, against contestants from Sittingbourne, Faversham and Gillingham.

He said he was amazed at how stressful the experience was, not because of the cooking but trying to get everything ship-shape for the three complete strangers who come into your house.

The dad-of-one said: "We haven't got a dining room so had to convert the conservatory. The cooking side of it was not a problem, it was a piece of cake, it was the run up that was stressful."

Mr Bowman wasn't giving too much away, but did reveal the spread he laid on included chips.

The preview for the show reveals Mr Bowman is up against a self-confessed Stepford wife, a food snob and a domestic goddess.

He added: "I was very confident because I love cooking. I come into the kitchen to relax - it's where I find my karma.

"My wife was around during filming and she kept saying I was coming across as really cocky."

A rivalry also brews between the two female contestants on the show.