Gethin Jones thought John Torode "really hated [him]" on ‘Celebrity Masterchef’.
The 42-year-old TV presenter is part of the latest line-up of stars aiming to impress judges John and Gregg Wallace with their culinary delights, but he felt "intimidated" by the Australian chef and wasn’t sure if John liked him at first.
The Welsh star said: "Gregg loves his rugby, so we had good banter. He’s very funny and he knew about Celtic history.
"But John is the one who I was intimidated by. The first day I met him, I went to shake his hand and he said, ‘I’m not shaking your hand, you’ve got fish on it.’
"I thought he really hated me! But what’s great about John is that he wants you to cook well. They’re both passionate about food and about people learning to create good food.
"They’re totally honest about what they’re eating, but the pressure is the fun of the show."
Despite surviving an alligator attack and the trials and tribulations of spending a month in a South American jungle, Gethin was "a mess" when he made his debut on the star-studded cookery show and couldn’t get his hands to "stop shaking" when he entered the ‘Celebrity Masterchef’ kitchen.
He added to TV Times magazine: "I cannot believe how petrified I was. I’ve been in some very strange, high-pressured situations – I’ve flown a Red Arrow, been attacked by an alligator and looked after myself in a South American jungle for a month.
"But I was a mess going into that kitchen for the first time.
"I couldn’t get my hands to stop shaking. But what an experience."