Silvana Franco

Born in Derby, but with Italian roots, Silvana is part of a large family and was used to good home cooking as a child. This fuelled her love of food and she decided to train as a chef, attending High Peak College in Buxton, Derby. She went on to complete a degree in Home Economy at Southbank University in London. Her degree course gave her the opportunity to do a work placement and this led Silvana to the BBC where she contributed to BBC Vegetarian Good Food magazine. Her obvious talent for writing and passion for food led to her becoming senior writer on Good Food magazine. Brightening out screens Her magazine experience led her to work alongside Ainsley Harriott as a food stylist and writer on Can't Cook Won't Cook, Ainsley's Meals in Minutes and a host of others. Her strong association with Ainsley and sparking personality got her noticed in the studio and it wasn't long before she was on screen presenting alongside Ainsley and other chefs. Now a successful presenter on shows such as Saturday Kitchen, Silvana has had several books published. She also runs a food media company called Fork with fellow ex BBC colleagues Angela Boggiano and Jenny White