DS Icon: Rustie Lee

Before the days of Gordon, Nigella and Jamie, celebrity chefs used to have larger than life personalities and cookery skills were secondary to a good sense of humour. TV-am legend Rustie Lee could rustle up a mighty fine feast in the kitchen, but it was her infectious cackle and rapport with celebrity guests such as Les Dawson, Kenneth Williams and Cheryl Baker that endeared her to the nation. Lee was one of the few reliably entertaining fixtures that worked on the ITV breakfast show until its demise in 1992.

Aside from her cookery, Lee earned plenty of work in the '80s on light entertainment staples such as Game For A Laugh and Blankety Blank. The Jamaican-born star retreated from TV for most of the '90s but has experienced a career resurgence of sorts in recent years. In 2008 Lee returned to mainstream audiences thanks to a role in EastEnders as Gus Smith's aunt Opal. Apart from an appearance in Living's I'm Famous And Frightened 2, Lee has shown her class by staying away from reality TV, and in 2004 even launched a political career, controversially standing for election for the UK Independence Party.

Digital Spy celebrates the career of actress and TV-am head chef Rustie Lee.