In Touch: What's Blunkett cooking up on the radio?

The former cabinet minister found himself at the sharp end of a press hounding twice in the last 18 months, leading to two high profile resignations both relating to improprieties in his personal life.

A backbencher once again, many had speculated that he may want to dabble his toe in the media business. Radio 4 listeners will remember that he became guest editor on Today between Christmas and New Year, but now he is having an airing as guest presenter of the long-running weekly radio programme for visually impaired people, that he is known to listen to regularly.

We caught up with one of the producers of Tuesday's programme, Cheryl Gabriel, who gave us the lowdown on what we can expect to hear.

"We've always had a good relationship with David. We recently asked him to select some items for the programme and he told us that, as he'd just moved house and was starting a new life, he was really interested in improving his cookery.

"He had met top chef Anton Mosimann at the house of a mutual friend, found him to be patient and kind, and suggested that maybe the chef would be willing to teach him how to cook something impressive for when he's entertaining"

Follow David Blunkett as he prepares a mouth-watering starter dish of salmon with fresh Cornish crab meat. The recipe will be on the In Touch website after the programme, for those tempted to have a go at making it for themselves.

As someone who can't see, the Labour MP was particularly keen to find out more about the art of presenting food, Cheryl told us:

"He asked Anton to describe all the colours to him: the pink of the salmon, the white crab meat, the pickled ginger which goes on top, the green and white of the spring onion, the green of dill and the yellowy colour of the dressing."

This Tuesday's programme also includes an audio diary that David Blunkett recorded on Monday 15 March, the day of the controversial education debate in the House of Commons and also the occasion of his first backbencher speech in eighteen years.

"He said he was quite nervous about it. We hear him walking around Westminster: he takes us from his office in Portcullis House, across the atrium and eventually into the Commons chamber through the members' entrance at the back of the Speaker's chair. En route we hear him talking to Sadie - his guide dog."

Tune in at 8:40pm on BBC Radio 4, Tuesday 28 March.

That isn't the last you'll hear of Mr Blunkett on In Touch. The week after may be even more intriguing as - like he did with John Humphrys at Christmas - he'll be turning the tables on regular host Peter White, also blind, in what could be the disability interview of the decade.

The bets are on. Blunkett on White. What will he be asking of the friendly veteran voice of Radio 4 on Tuesday 4 April? Your guess is as good as ours.

• Schoolboy rivalry? - Blunkett attended The Royal National College for the Blind, now based in Hereford, whereas White was a Worcester College for the Blind man, now New College Worcester (NCW).

• Mobility aids? - Blunkett is a dog man but Peter reportedly loathes them, preferring to stick to a modest fold-up symbol cane.

• Memoir supremacy? - Both of the men have published their autobiographies - one being a little grittier and more northern than the other.

• Blind horizons? - David Blunkett might just want to question Peter White on his life as a visually impaired man of a similar age, and his continued link to blind culture weekly on a Tuesday evening.

The interview won't be recorded until next week so Cheryl Gabriel is equally as intrigued as we are. But on his skills as a presenter, she says:

"David is a natural chef and a natural broadcaster. He's just got it."

Dare we suggest that Peter White could have a new radio rival? Surely not?

• Tuesday's programme is produced by
Cheryl Gabriel and Steven Williams.

• Pictures by Cheryl Gabriel.