Celebrity chef and well-known TV presenter Ainsley Harriott cooked up a storm at this year’s Bolton Food and Drink Festival.

Charismatic Ainsley did not leave the crowd disappointed during his cooking show on Sunday as sang, cooked, danced, and answered questions from the audience.

He has been coming to the festival for five years now, and he says it’s the people that keep him coming back.

Ainsley’s viral ‘Why hello Jill’ moment was also a topic of conversation.

He said: “The other day I was driving along, and a car pulls up by the side and people started looking at me, and all these students jumped out, and they had the imaginary frying pan, and started doing the old pelvic flutter, saying ‘Why hello Jill’.

“So, people, talk about being car jacked, I was Jill jacked.

“I love positivity.

“I love when people are engaging with you in a very positive way.”

The Bolton News: Candid photo of Ainsley by Danny CromptonCandid photo of Ainsley by Danny Crompton

When Ainsley’s not working, he says he is ‘more or less his same’ exuberant self, and he doesn’t believe in ‘hiding who you are’.

He added: “I like people and I like to share things with people, and when you have those moments, you can’t fake it.

“I mean I don’t get up in the morning and say, ‘why hello bathroom’, ‘why hello kitchen’.

“But I do see a half full glass.”

Ainsley also enjoys tennis in his spare time, loves supporting Arsenal, and taking his dog Bobby for walks.

His inspiration comes from renowned cooking personality Graham Kerr, better-known as The Galloping Gourmet.

When speaking to The Bolton News he recalled a time when he was younger, and how he used to watch him on the TV.

The Bolton News: Ainsley was making some scrumptious food and having a laugh tooAinsley was making some scrumptious food and having a laugh too

Ainsley said: “Graham Kerr was a wonderful inspiration, as well as my mother, and as well as people that I worked with.”

Before Ainsley made his big break on Ready, Steady, Cook, he used to work in a kitchen at 17, only earning £15 a week.

He added: “There were a couple of people there that took me under their wing.

“And this old guy Clifford Walker – who is in his in his 90’s now, still going.

“He just taught me the discipline of what it was like to be in the kitchen as a young black chef, and the demands that were gonna be put on me, and how I have to push myself that little bit more and engage with people.

“And perhaps that’s where the extra smiles and everything came from because I wanted people to be happy.

“I wanted people to accept me, and I think a lot of us do that.”