A live episode of the BBC's Saturday Kitchen took an unexpectedly flirtatious turn, leading producers to instruct host Matt Tebbutt to swiftly "move on" following a cheeky exchange with special guest Shirley Ballas.
Live Show Descends Into Playful Chaos
The incident occurred during the broadcast on Saturday, January 10, 2026. Tebbutt, 51, was presenting alongside chefs Adam Smith and Mandy Yin, with wine expert Olly Smith and Strictly Come Dancing professional Vito Coppola also in the studio. The focus, however, shifted to head judge Shirley Ballas after Tebbutt served her a brunch dish of potato and onion fritters with feta, salmon, and poached eggs.
As he presented the plate, Tebbutt momentarily lost his composure, stumbling over his words and forgetting the name of the eggs. "Am I making you lose your concentration here?" Ballas teased, to which the flustered host replied, "Yes you are." After sampling the food and praising his cooking, Ballas received a reciprocal compliment from Tebbutt, who said, "Good. I like your dancing."
'You Wouldn't Be Chatting Me Up, Are You?'
The studio atmosphere became increasingly playful when Ballas retorted, "You wouldn't be chatting me up, are you?" Laughing, Tebbutt quipped, "Um it's getting steamy in here. Let's hang around here for a moment." It was at this point that the show's production team intervened, eager to keep the programme on schedule.
Matt Tebbutt revealed live on air that he was "being told to move on", prompting more laughter from the studio guests and crew. The light-hearted moment provided unexpected entertainment for viewers tuning into the cookery show's first live instalment of the new year.
Schedule Change Announced Hours Later
In a separate development, just hours after the broadcast, Matt Tebbutt used social media to announce a permanent change to the show's schedule. He revealed that Saturday Kitchen would now start at 9:45am, a quarter of an hour earlier than its traditional 10am slot.
The presenter shared a photo of himself and co-presenter Olly Smith on Instagram, overlaid with the text: "Back to school tomorrow...earlier time 9:45am... Be there!" His caption confirmed the new timing for future episodes, directing fans to tune in earlier.
Viewers can catch up on the episode featuring the memorable exchange, and all previous instalments, via BBC iPlayer.
