Another National, and the pursuit of the trivial

All the tips for the best of the English and Irish TV racing

A family lunch - we watched Constitution Hill and later on catch-up saw a potential superstar in The Jukebox Man. The lunch went well, and I created a newish dish to accompany the homemade steak, mushroom and burgundy pie. With the celeriac mash, I served shredded cabbage with Aleppo paper, lemon and garlic—simplicity itself. For 14 people, as a side dish, finely shred cabbage and throw it into a medium hot wok containing olive oil and butter. Add salt to draw some of the moisture. As it wilts it will start to get a golden hue. Add crushed garlic to your taste, Aleppo pepper (aka Pul Biber, available Waitrose), zest of a lemon and then juice. Keep stirring and tossing in the wok. Season more, and it’s ready when wilted to your preference. It tastes slightly like a homemade sauerkraut and was delicious, still crunch in parts and slightly spicy in others. The various mobs left, and it was time to void out in front of the box, catching up on the sport and then zoning out to various quizzes.

A sad part of my life is watching TV quiz shows. Please don’t immediately misjudge me; I am by no means taken with Celebrity Squares or Who’s Got an IQ bigger than a bowl of custard, but a University Challenge, Only Connect, or even a WWTBA Millionaire has appeal. At Christmas, these options are increased and confused by Christmas Specials, an option for a few actors and those not picking up significant stipends from Corry or Eastenders to earn a few bob and get their face back in front of the talent agents and show bookers.

Thus, I was trapped by Celebrity Mastermind this evening. Nursing my King George wounds with a soothing tankard of Naval strength Plymouth Gin and Amaretto over ice - everyone should try something new at Christmas - I saw Kris Akabusi, the Olympian and still reigning British 400m Hurdle champion, deliver a perfect score on his specialist subject… Friedrich Nietzsche. That is not a sentence I thought I would ever write, and like all good comeuppances, my preconceptions were proved hugely wrong. Madame said rather in the manner of a girl who has dined with the great hurdler, “Of course, he scored 10/10 - he wouldn't have picked it if he didn’t know!”

After that, the entire show went downhill. I knew none of the other celebrities. One was a presenter on BBC Radio Asia who should have answered questions on fake eyelashes and their impact on the environment. The other was