LOBBY might be the dish of choice for many Leythers — or people from Leigh to non-locals — but it will be chicken pie on the menu when a TV cookery competition comes to town today.

Rosie and David Aspinall are eagerly awaiting their TV debut on Channel 4’s Couples Come Dine with Me when it airs at 5pm.

The Pennington couple were contacted just one week before a TV crew came knocking on their door, leaving them very little time to prepare.

TV and film extra Rosie, aged 49, said: “I applied for the original show last year but never heard anything. They must have still had my details on file because they just emailed me and said they needed someone in the area.

“I am the more outgoing of the two but David is a really good cook. He has only been cooking since Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food came out a few years ago — it inspired him and now he is a gourmet cook.

“They turned up to film 9.30am and we were going to go to Bents Garden and Home but we ran out of time so we were filmed at Pennington Flash for a bit.”

Mr Aspinall, a 48-year-old HGV driver, and Mrs Aspinall, who recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, cooked a mussel chowder, followed by chicken and leek pie with a herb crust, asparagus wrapped in bacon and French potatoes before finishing with a cherry clafoutis for two other couples.

Mrs Aspinall said: “We had never cooked the chicken pie before but we thought ever-yone would like it. It didn’t go that well on the day though because we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare but everyone seemed to enjoy it.

“We were the only couple to put on some entertainment and played our version of Mr and Mrs but with painted spatulas instead of cards.”