Season 10

2009 begins with four episodes in a single night, with Newcastle the venue of choice. But will Lee Eley's James Bond-themed party go to plan when his guests are so demanding, and Lee keeps drinking throughout?

Brian is the second host in Newcastle, revealing himself to be a Conservative politician. Yet despite Brian trying everything to meet his guests' needs, he's met with constant criticism throughout, especially from Brenda.

Rebecca, the quietest of the group, gets her turn to host a Moroccan-style party. But when Brenda arrives saying she's been continuously vomiting from Brian's food the night before, it proves to be a topic that she won't drop.

It's the final night in Newcastle, and it's left to boxer Brenda to host the final party. But as she's spent all week being the pickiest guest, has she attracted too many enemies for it to be a success?

Four nights in Sheffield are presented on a single Tuesday evening on Channel 4. First up is businesswoman Susanne, with her guests including flirty Oliver and shop owner Hazel. But will artist Christopher allow anyone else chance to talk?

For the second night it's the turn of 4'8 artist Christopher. But after he spent the first night dominating the conversation, will his guests still be frustrated by his company, or change their initial perception?

With Christopher having turned around his reputation among the other guests, it's left to Hazel to host the third dinner party. For lighter moments she organises a kissing game, while for a more serious tone she reveals more about herself.

Ollie hosts the final party of the week, showcasing the view of the local dog track and performing magic tricks after dinner. Yet when Ollie's own assessment of his entertainment value is "piss poor", then what will his guests think?

Four nights in Norwich are presented in a single evening on Channel 4. Single mum Zara Davies starts the week, cooking for David, Seamus and Wendy. But right from the start, the chemistry isn't there, and tensions are already in the air.

"If I never see some of these people again, so long as I live, it wouldn't be a bad thing." It's David's turn to host the second evening, and the underlying tensions between the four diners begin to rise to the surface.

It's Seamus's turn to host, and also his birthday. While tensions between Seamus and Zara begin to ease, David begins to find Zara's overbearing nature difficult to deal with.

After a week of minor spats, niggles and tongue biting, the competitors from Norwich get to eat at Wendy's house and find out who was the winner.

The West Country plays host to the culinary clash, where the first host is Kenyan-born Sarah Hillman. Her menu, which includes zebra and ostrich, could be too exotic for some

Bachelor Simon Goddard Palmer is so confident of his cooking abilities that he's found time to go on a pheasant shoot, although he's not quite the hot-shot that he thought

Bath is home to this week's dinner party hosts, all hoping win the £1,000 first prize. Town crier Adrian's hopes to win are scuppered when he discovers his moggy has eaten his canapés.

Show-jumping fan Annie Todd has some high hurdles to clear, as Simon is looking for revenge. She criticised his food so he's determined to turn the tables as the culinary clash culminates.

Pub landlord James Payley is the first to host the culinary competition in Coventry. In true pub tradition, ambitious James gives his guests a choice of dishes for each course.

Scientist and writer Vera Phillips Griffiths doesn't get off to a good start when she burns the veg and can't remember if she put sugar or salt in the dessert

Even though he has a hangover, Jon Bramley is determined to pull out all the stops. Fancying himself as a creative cook, he goes out on a limb, customising recipes.

Dinner party veteran Marie Hughes Price hopes her wealth of experience will bag her the prize. The preparation goes like clockwork, but not all the diners can keep the food down.

Arguably the most famous and beloved week in the history of the show, as some of the most eccentric and combustible contestants get together for an eventful run. The first night sees Nigel accused of neglecting three of his guests.

It's eccentric Val's turn to host the dinner party, but the tensions of the first night still remain. Bernard's detailing of exotic foods causes Dawn to be sick, while Dawn's later discussion of a holiday sees Bernard throw a tantrum.

Bernard hosts a Caribbean-themed evening, and presents a bouquet of flowers for both ladies by way of apology for his tantrums. But the guests confess they're on edge after his previous behaviour, and no one is in the mood to party.

A tired and emotional Dawn falls asleep during her own dinner event, and leaves the cooking to Nigel. While arguably the most lauded and loved episode of the series, it would retrospectively have a downbeat air four years later.

After a week of arguments, upheavals and recriminations, it's left to Paul to host the most relaxed party of the week. There's a peaceful atmosphere for a change, and after the food generally goes down well, it's time to reveal the winner.

The five contestants for this week, all from Ipswich, are: former pub landlady Zoë Condon, who is straightforward about her opinions toward meals; insurance claims technician Barry Davis, who is overly opinionated about what he likes and doesn't like about people; butcher Gerard King, who likes the fun in theatrical people; waitress Lisa Quinton, who detests dirt, either in her surroundings (especially her home and that of others she visits) or people; and school matron Angie Robertson, who's a musical theater fanatic who will sing at any opportunity she can. Zoë Condon is the first to host the dinner party. Her menu consists of gratinéed potatoes with bacon and asparagus as the starter, a shellfish platter as the main course, and strawberries in Pimms jelly with Cointreau ice cream for dessert. Besides the food, the five seem to get along. Does the congenial atmosphere of the evening set the tone for things to come for the rest of the week?

Leading into the second dinner, four of the five participants discuss the one remaining person as the most immature of the group (despite they all being about the same age), the immaturity not all a bad thing. And another group of four discuss the excessive alcohol consumption of the fifth, especially in light of that person being "little". Barry Davis is the next to host the dinner party, he who is quietly confident despite nursing a hangover and admitting that his menu contains little effort in terms of cooking skill needed. His menu consists of white Russians for cocktails, Peggy's parsnip soup as the starter, beef goulash with paprika dumplings as the main course, and chocolate and orange risotto as the dessert. Barry is hoping that his entertainment makes up for some lapses in the kitchen. Although the evening still has a congenial tone similar to the evening before, a comment from the one considered the "loose cannon" may prove to be problematic.

Narrator Dave Lamb feels compelled to tell Angie to shut up during her musical night, as she won't stop singing. While Angie's food goes well, her entertainment makes half her guests feel uncomfortable, and there's another bad atmosphere.

The falling out between Angie and Zoë is the main topic of conversation following last night's dinner, especially by Angie and Zoë, the former who finally has come to realization that Zoë probably doesn't like her. As the next host, Lisa Quinton is hoping to be able to keep the peace at her party, but others don't believe Lisa will be able to pull at least that part of the evening off successfully. Lisa's menu consists of king scallops with pancetta chorizo salad as a starter, chicken mafiosa as the main course, and apple crumble with homemade cinnamon ice cream for dessert.

The on-going rift between Angie and Zoë is still playing on the minds of all the diners. The fact of Gerard King being the next and last to host may ease everyone's minds about the rift as Gerard seems to have a special place in everyone's heart. Most of his guests expect a meat-laden menu seeing as to his occupation. His menu consists of chicken liver, black pudding and streaky bacon on toast as a starter, pork chops roasted in cider as the main course, and strawberry and cream filo tart as the dessert. He confesses to the camera in private that he is nervous since he has never hosted a sit down dinner party on his own. By the end of the night, the food takes a back seat to the issue of guest relations. But he'll find out then if his food and guest relation services are enough as Gerard announces the winner of the £1,000.

Five nights in London begin with American-Swedish journalist Judi. Her four chatty guests are lawyer Lisa, schoolteacher Peter, office manager Moni and product manager Matthew.

The guests from last night's dinner discuss their chances of winning in light of the quality of the first party. Lisa Connell is the next to host the dinner party, she who is concerned about two of the guests who have stated that they are highly critical. She is also fastidious about the cleanliness of her work area and her house in general. Her menu consists of king prawn, crab & butternut squash risotto as the starter, roasted lamb shanks and pan-fried sea bass as the two main courses, and a milk chocolate fountain and a cheese plate as the desserts. She has a kitchen equipment malfunction which could spell disaster. A malfunction of a different kind happens during the post-main course drinks in the living room. A final change occurs with the menu as it's being served.

The guests are still discussing the wine spilling incident from last night, Judi, the supposed culprit, still not quite admitting to it being her fault. Peter Rixham is third on the list to host the dinner party. He is confident about his menu and hopes he can execute it well. He also hopes the evening will be light and fun for his guests. His menu consists of asparagus wrapped in Parma ham with hollandaise (served ham-less for vegetarian Moni) as a starter, boeuf bourguignon and ratatouille as the main courses, and chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis for dessert. As the evening rolls on, the five discuss the importance of winning versus the importance of having a good time at each party.

Moni Bharij is the hostess for the evening. Most of her guests expect that she will go to her Indian roots both for the menu and any additional table décor. They aren't wrong, but are surprised by the ingredients in the main. Her menu consists of king prawn curry as a starter, mixed thali of lamb, chicken, aubergine and lentil curry as the main course, and strawberry and champagne surprise for dessert. Lisa decides to bring Moni a gift reflecting Moni's gifts to everyone else thus far. Conversely, Lisa seems purely by chance to receive the short end of the stick on several occasions during the evening.

The five reflect on the four new friends they have out of this experience, many no longer caring if they win the top prize. Matthew Baker is the last of this fivesome to host. He believes he has a good shot at winning having grown up in what he has coined the Jamie Oliver generation. Because of Matthew's boasting during the previous parties, his guests have high expectations of him. His menu consists of basil wrapped tortelloni, mozzarella and tomato as a starter, grilled red mullet as the main course, and duo of tiramisu and experimental fruit soup as the desserts. He hopes his choice of wine impresses one of his guests. They all have a good laugh at Judi's expense about a past indiscretion before Matthew announces the winner of the £1,000.

Joker Dave Wheeler starts off a week in Manchester with a night of sophisticated humour - a fake turd and a fart machine. When Dave's food goes badly, it's left to his entertainment to try to salvage the night: a Mick Jagger impression.

Drama teacher Matthew is the second host of the week, with a meticulously-planned menu. Unfortunately Dave takes centre stage once again, bringing up the subject of Shaida's age and never letting the subject drop.

Celebrity fan Jane plans an "Oscar Night", with all courses based around film, and "paparazzi" to snap her guests as they arrive on a red carpet. With the diners suitably impressed by the fun, it produces an evening without arguments.

The five competitors discuss how well they have all gotten along so far, with the exception of one person who they feel is the outsider, who isn't aware of this perception. Shaida Shipping is the hostess for the evening. She has listed a surprise as an opening to the evening, that surprise which taps into one of her hobbies. The guests are nervous about what that surprise is. Shaida's menu consists of roly-poly meatloaf as a starter, lamb kichro as the main course, and pineapple cheesecake for dessert. Beyond the quality of the food itself, the guests are surprised that the menu doesn't seem to reflect what they would have expected from her. After the party, the guests remark most about the tone of the evening.

The four previous hosts reflect on their respective evenings. Shaida has come to the realization of her outsider status among the group. Chris Brady is the last of this fivesome to host. Much like Shaida, Chris has a surprise for his guests, but doesn't tell them that there even is a surprise until their arrival, which he keeps until the end as a cap to the evening. His menu starts with grilled haloumi with salsa. He has an Italian trio as the main course: lasagna, chicken and tomato tagliatelle, and tomato, basil and mozzarella towers. Summer fruit pudding ends the meal. Immediately following the surprise, Chris announces the winner of the £1,000.

Christopher Biggins, Edwina Currie, Julia Bradbury and Philip Olivier all compete to win £1000 for charity. The week was later shown as four separate episodes in August the same year.

Guests discover if you can buy class when nightclub owner Tony invites them to his huge house, complete with £26,000 chandelier - and serves them a '70s style menu. Barrister Anthony describes him as "new money" and discovers he cheated.

The four guests from the previous evening assess their chances of winning based on first host Tony's performance. Bernice Saltzer is second on the list to host the dinner party. She is hoping to dazzle not only with her food but also her foot wear. Being a PR executive, she kiddingly threatens to mount smear campaigns against her guests if they mark her low. Her menu consists of pear and warm blue cheesecake as the starter, teriyaki salmon as the main course, and a duo of chocolate treats for dessert. During the meal, one diner is the target of the others, not for what is said but for what is not said. Beyond the food, Anthony and Roy dislike something else that Bernice hands over to them. At the end of the evening, Bernice is uncertain of how she will be scored.

Ashley Hughes is third on the list to host the dinner party. Her menu consists of salmon and tarragon mousse as the starter, beef medallions with a Stilton crust (and sea bass for kosher Bernice) as the main course, and blackberry and lemon ice in brandy snap cups for dessert. In preparing her meal, she demonstrates by its overuse her favourite kitchen gadget, and on which items she spends little thought. Besides the food, she is overly meticulous about another aspect of the evening. By the end of the meal, the one thing her guests did notice was her constant need for approval.

Anthony Merton-Smith is the host for the evening. His guests are expecting great things from him as the "posh" one of the group, but as he has not divulged much information about himself during the week either, they also believe he could totally surprise them. He is confident about his chances of winning, especially after the first three meals. His menu consists of game terrine with chutney (fish terrine for kosher Bernice) as a starter, roast venison with black cherry sauce (seared tuna for Bernice) as the main course, and crêpes Suzette for dessert.

All five of the diners, even the person whose night it was to host, comment on the totally unusual aspect of one of the dinner parties. But that night promises not to hold a candle to Roy Ledger's, he who is the last of this fivesome to host. Despite it being the middle of summer, Roy has decided on a Christmas theme, which he had not told his guests before they see the menu. His menu consists of garlic mushrooms and seared scallops with prawns as the starters, roast turkey with *some* trimmings (and orange crusted salmon for kosher Bernice) as the main course, and sherry trifle for dessert. He takes a risk by preparing much of the meal in front of his guests. At dinner, talk turns to the unusual items Roy has in his garden, and a special piece of clothing that Anthony is wearing. Followed by the five's discussion of future plans with each other, Roy announces the winner of the £1,000.

A celebrity special featuring Raef Bjayou, Christopher Ellison, Lynne Franks and Michelle Gayle competing over four separate nights for charity. The week was later shown as four separate episodes in February 2010.