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Celebrity chef Ben Bayly has come a long way since washing dishes at a restaurant in Te Awamutu as a teenager. It was a crucial first step in a career which has seen him cook all over the world, including in Michelin-starred restaurants.

Bayly, guest on the latest episode of Stuff’s celebrity interview podcast Generally Famous, chatted to host Simon Bridges about the amazing parts of his life as a chef, the celebrities he’s served and some of the coolest places he’s worked – like Las Vegas, Europe and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Bayly also spoke about the immense pressure chefs face, and the huge hours he worked to get to the top.

He said the pressure was particularly full-on in London.

“I ended up at a restaurant called The Square. It’s two Michelin star, Phil Howard was the chef, and it was sort of like the Marines in there, like the SAS of cooking.

“It’s a really bizarre culture, very aggressive, super-long hours. And I’m not exaggerating, you know, you’re working 16 hours a day … You’re falling asleep on the Tube on the way to work in the morning, and you’re falling asleep and missing your stop on the way home.”

But Bayly said the hard work paid off. It’s led to him opening some of New Zealand’s best restaurants, including Ahi, in Auckland. He also stars in reality TV show The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes where eight people with dementia take on roles at a restaurant he runs. He’s fronted two seasons of A New Zealand Food Story, with a third on the way, and been a judge on My Kitchen Rules New Zealand.

To listen to the full interview, in which Bayly also reveals his recipe for a luxurious mince on toast and his favourite Kiwi chefs, click the play icon on the audio player at the top of this story or visit the Generally Famous homepage.

There’s a new episode of Generally Famous every Wednesday. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify – or wherever you get your podcasts – to get instant, automatic access.