NOT one but two Christmas specials of Big Zuu's Big Eats aired on Dave this month and can be found on catch-up. Georgia Humphreys hears what to expect from the rapper-turned-chef.

Big Zuu is a man of many talents; a grime MC, a great cook and now a successful TV presenter too.

The 25-year-old - real name Zuhair Hussain - first taught himself to cook as a teenager. He went on to produce funny cooking videos that he'd post on social media, as well as doing cooking segments for radio shows and blogs in the grime world.

Soon he became known for his food as well as his music, and earlier this year, his own cooking show, called Big Zuu's Big Eats - in which he rustles up meals for comedians including Jimmy Carr, London Hughes, Guz Khan and Josh Widdicombe - launched on Dave.

This December, there are two exciting specials coming. In each episode of Big Zuu's Christmas Eats, four famous guests are treated to a fine festive feast cooked by Big Zuu and his sous chef Hyder and chief taster Tubsey. Expect dishes like camembert cheese straws, a Christmas curry and pumpkin pie.

Here, we find out more from the charismatic star, who grew up on a council estate in west London.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR TWO-PART CHRISTMAS SPECIAL?

The music special, we are going into a new domain. We are cooking with AJ Tracey, Loyle Carner, JME and Julie Adenuga - all good friends of mine. So, there's this new dynamic; I'm cooking with people that I get on with so they're able to be a bit harsher with their critique.

And then the comedy special, you see the return of Phil Wang, Rosie Jones, Desiree Burch and Ed Gamble; all people that I've cooked with before.

Me and Rosie, our relationship is absolutely mental, we just get on so well. We create special nicknames for each other.

With Ed Gamble and Phil Wang, they're always just saying something whacky. And then I feel like Desiree always just says the most random stuff to me.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD YOU COOKED FOR THE FESTIVE FEASTS?

I love making sides for Christmas. We did the big turkey, and one of the sides was peri-peri croquettes.

Normally I buy my croquettes from Marks & Spencers and put them in the oven but this year, I am one million per cent making them. There is nothing better than deep-fried mashed potato.

WHERE DOES THE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR COOKING COME FROM?

I watch a guy called Mark Wiens on YouTube; he travels the world and he goes to little authentic restaurants. I watch food programmes all day.

Obviously, when we cook for people in the programme, it's normally inspired from what they love growing up, what food they love, but we add on whacky twists...

All the things we wish we could do in our kitchen and all the things we wish we could do at a dinner party, that's what we do at Big Eats, because it's TV, and we can make it work.

SERIES ONE OF BIG ZUU'S BIG EATS AIRED EARLIER THIS YEAR. HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE RESPONSE?

It's sick! People are still talking to me about the programme, people are still watching it; now the repeats are on Dave at pre-watershed so we are getting a whole new fanbase of people watching it. And it's weird - I never thought I'd have a programme that people absolutely love binge-watching.

I've always been a musician and people love me for my music so I'm used to getting love for the stuff that I make, but now I'm kinda getting love for the person I am.

WHAT'S IT LIKE GETTING RECOGNISED BY FANS OF THE SHOW?

People tell me to cook for them, all the time; I get asked to cook for people every day!

It's a bit weird because it's all types of people that are showing us love. Me, Tubsey and Hyder, we've had people that we never ever thought would like us stop us in the middle of the street.

One time I went into a shop and there was this old black lady, she looked like she was in her 60s, 70s, and she was like, 'I just watched you on the telly! I really love your show'.

COVID-19 HAS MADE 2020 A DIFFICULT YEAR FOR EVERYONE. DO YOU FIND COOKING HELPS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?

100%! I was doing lockdown videos with my mum, cooking to promote Big Eats. I was teaching her how to film on the iPhone, she was telling me that oil was too hot... It brought me and mum together way more, it gave us a lot to speak about.

It also gave me something new to do within lockdown. You're in your house, watching the same Netflix film again for the 15th billionth time and you just want to go outside and be free but might be looking forward to having a nice little dinner with your family.

DO YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING LESS MUSIC IN THE FUTURE AND MORE TV?

TV is really fun! I love music as well; I've been in the music world for about six years. I know one day, one will take over the other. It's just one of those things - whatever works, works. But I really do enjoy making television and I'm seeing all these new other sides to it as well, like behind the scenes.

I'm never going to stop writing music, never going to stop making music. But Big Zuu the musician, he might take a break one day.