Catch up TV review: Grace Kelly: Lost Tapes of a Princess, Big Zuu’s Big Eats S2
David Farnor | On 14, Jun 2021
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Big Zuu’s Big Eats: Season 2 (UKTV Play)
Big Zuu is back for a second helping, and Dave’s unlikely but winning series continues to cook up a rather tasty diversion. The series sees grime artist and chef Big Zuu cook for celebrity guests, and the show’s strength is the way that it uses food as a gateway to an interview that gives us an informal insight into each guest’s personality and life. In the case of Maya Jama, part Swedish and part Somali, the TV presenter is the ideal bridge from the comedians of Season 1 to the wider group of famous faces that populate Season 2 – the line-up also includes Harry Redknapp. Jama has always been an amusing screen presence, and she gives an entertaining and affectionate account of growing up in Bristol – and isn’t afraid to tell Big Zuu when she isn’t a fan of something that he cooks, as the pair have been friends for years. Zuu’s reactions to her feedback is reason enough to tune in, as the likeable cook serves up a nice mix of confidence and vulnerability – but he’s really in his element when he’s in the kitchen, cooking with mates Tubsey and Hyder with flair, interesting flavours and a laidback charisma. The result is an unassuming and unforced cookery series and talk show that works just by being so natural. With James Acaster next on the menu for this 10-part second course, expect more delectable things to come.
Grace Kelly: Lost Tapes of a Princess (All 4)
The daughter of Olympic gold medal winner, star of Rear Window and wife of Prince Rainier of Monaco, Grace Kelly’s glamorous life and legacy has lost none of its shine – even after the dire 2014 biopic Grace of Monaco. Her decision to turn her back on Hollywood for her royal Monaco life has always intrigued, sparking a recent documentary on Channel 5. This hour-long film is authorised by Kelly’s son, Prince Albert, which means we get a wave of new images and footage that really are quite absorbing. But with that access comes a limit to how candid the programme can be, with no real examination of the reported dissatisfaction of her marriage to Rainier – there is a brief mention of “weariness” without further scrutiny. The result is, perhaps aptly, both eye-catching and elusive, showing us an icon from a personal angle – as a wife and mother – but never letting us get closer than her as a film star.
