As Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for North Norfolk she is already prepared for a grilling from her political opponents.

But next month Denise Burke will be swapping the hot voting battleground for the heat of the kitchen when she takes part in Channel 4's popular reality cooking competition, Come Dine With Me.

The mum of one is joining three fellow north Norfolk residents on the show, which sees a group of budding chefs go up against one another to host an evening dinner party, with the winner scooping £1,000 cash prize.

Mrs Burke, from Happisburgh, signed up for the show at the start of the year, before she was selected as North Norfolk Labour's prospective candidate, and was filmed in the same week that she helped the party contest a by-election in Cromer.

She said: 'I cannot wait to see the results when it goes out on Channel 4. I hope it will sell north Norfolk's local produce to a wider audience, and show what we have to offer here.

'The programme was filmed during a freezing cold week in February, but it didn't stop the camera crew wanting to film some of the beautiful parts of north Norfolk, including Happisburgh lighthouse and beach.

'The producers were even keen to capture some of the Labour Party campaigning in Cromer.

'It was great fun, and it will certainly reveal a few surprises about North Norfolk Labour's parliamentary candidate.

'We all appeared to get on well during the dinners but I still don't know what was said about each other on camera after each meal!'

Mrs Burke, 56, was joined on the show by James Houlder, of North Creake, and Helen Wicks and Dave Parkes, from Sheringham.

None of the contestants have seen the show, which airs on Thursday, September 5, and Mrs Burke admitted she is not sure to expect.

But she has told friends and family to look out for some surprises, particularly when her labrador Millie appears as an unexpected dinner guest.

Look out for the September 3 edition of the EDP for a special preview feature about the show.