Since its launch in 2005, Come Dine with Me has become an ever-present staple on Channel 4, thanks to its winning format and the best narration on TV from Dave Lamb.
And let's not forget that it also delivered one of the greatest daytime TV moments ever.
Somehow though, it feels like new contestants go on the show having never watched a single episode, falling into familiar traps that even a casual fan will know to stay far away from. So because we're a helpful bunch, we thought we'd round up the most common mistakes that contestants make.
Because no-one wants to end up like Peter.
1. Being overly critical before your night
We get that Come Dine with Me is a cooking competition, but that doesn't mean you have to be a dick about everyone else's courses. This is especially true when you haven't even hosted your night yet, as we can guarantee it'll come back to bite you.
If you've been nitpicking at every aspect of the other contestants' dinners throughout the week, we have no doubt that they will pounce on every opportunity to diss your food. Some of their criticisms probably won't even be 100% accurate, but everyone's opinion is different when it comes to what they like, so good luck trying to prove they're sabotaging your night.
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Of course, if you've had your night, then criticise away to your heart's content to put some doubt into other contestants' minds.
2. Lasagne
Look, we love a lasagne as much as the next person, but you're on a hiding to nothing if you decide to serve it up as your main course on Come Dine with Me.
The response will be something along the lines of, "It's not really dinner party food, is it?" along with a reference to it being a course that your opponents regularly whip up as a midweek dinner.
It doesn't matter how you jazz it up, it will always be "just lasagne" and it won't pull in the big points.
Lasagne isn't the only 'every day' meal you shouldn't put on your menu either. The same could probably apply to burgers too, and we don't think soup is an entirely safe choice as a starter, but you could get away with the latter if you had home-made bread. Speaking of which...
3. Buying pre-made items (and admitting it)
While it's moved slightly away from the serious cooking show it was in its early years (when Dave Lamb wasn't as sarcastic), Come Dine with Me contestants are still largely judged on their culinary skills, so you can't just buy pre-made items and get away with it.
Every group will have at least one person quizzing you on how you made a certain sauce, or baked a certain loaf of bread, so don't cut corners – especially not if you've already pointed out someone else doing exactly the same.
Of course, if you have cheated a bit, then maybe it's time for a little white lie and memorising a recipe, because admitting you've bought a sweet chilli dip from the Co-op will just lose you points.
4. Being a wine expert
If people want to learn about wine, they'll go and visit a vineyard somewhere, not take part in a daytime TV cooking competition.
There's nothing wrong with pairing wine to a course, but don't then go on and bore your guests with exactly why you chose it when you can just let the drinking do the talking. It won't enamour them to you and, most likely, will just bore them, so they'll score you down for not creating a fun atmosphere.
The same goes for talking too much about food and showing your cards as a foodie because there's the downside here that you'll raise expectations, leading people to be more critical of your night.
5. Guessing peoples' ages
It's dodgy ground at the best of times, but trying to guess peoples' ages when they'll later be marking you should just be an instant no-go area.
Still, you'll see it a lot on Come Dine with Me, usually during the first night when somebody thinks it'll be hilarious to go around the table and guess everyone's ages. More often than not, it is hilarious for us watching along, but pure torture for the guest who's had 10 years put on their age.
And you better believe that's going to come back to haunt you when it comes to marking your night.
6. Avocado – and other food preparation nightmares
If you can believe it, there are times on Come Dine with Me when people attempt to deliver a course that they've never cooked before. Sometimes this works out – there's "beginner's luck" for a reason, after all – but usually it leads to a disastrous preparation moment that can't be undone.
For instance, if you've never prepared an avocado before, you might congratulate yourself for being ready ahead of time, only to discover it's now basically inedible as you prepared it too early. It's happened before on the show and it'll probably happen again.
The same goes for those times when a sauce splits or a chocolate pot mixture for a dessert goes lumpy, they won't fix themselves and no amount of hoping or just putting it in the fridge will save it.
7. Forgetting napkins
When you're having a relaxed dinner, there's nothing wrong with using pretty much anything to hand to wipe up any mess, but if you're hosting a dinner party as part of a cooking competition, it's worth shelling out a few pounds for some napkins.
People will pick you up on it and just plonking a roll of kitchen towel or toilet roll on the table won't cut it, we're afraid.
And while we're on the topic of general dinner presentation, you might think that splashing out on a waiter to serve drinks and the courses to your guests will blow them away. Spoiler alert: it won't. Instead, it'll probably just make them think you're lazy, causing them to knock off a point or two.
8. Pets at the dinner table
Snake poo. That should be all we need to say to any Come Dine with Me fan, but even if your pet doesn't literally shit on the dinner table, it's not the best time to bring out any pet, regardless of how cute they are.
That's not to say you shouldn't ever show off a pet, as one recent contestant pretty much won the week by serving prosecco from a tiny horse. However, you really should keep them away from anywhere you're either serving food or preparing food.
Because the last thing anyone wants is a hairy goat's cheese tart.
Come Dine with Me airs on Channel 4.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
