Couples unveiled for Blanc's 'Restaurant'

The BBC has revealed the nine couples taking part in Raymond Blanc's reality series The Restaurant.

The contestants include South Wales couple Laura and Peter with an idea for "The Welsh Wok" Chinese restaurant; mother and daughter Annette and Kashelle from South Yorkshire, who are hoping to launch a Caribbean-themed menu; and Lindsie and Tim, a couple with a concept for a modern European-style brasserie specialising in seasonal dishes.

"I'm in midlife, I'm due a crisis. I had a choice, really - it was either a Porsche, an affair with an 18-year-old waitress or opening a restaurant. The restaurant is the one that we landed on," said Tim.

Yorkshire husband and wife Caroline and Chris, married Cambridge pair Helen and Stephen, school friends Alasdair and James, Essex couple Michele and Russell, father and daughter pairing Harriet and Mike and Sussex couple Richard and Scott complete the show's lineup.

The couples will compete to enter into an eatery business with French chef and restaurateur Blanc. He will be aided along the way by inspectors and industry experts Sarah Willingham and David Moore.

The second series of The Restaurant starts this Wednesday on BBC Two.

> Click here for our interview with Raymond Blanc