TOWIE cast compete in poverty charity cook-off challenge

The Only Way Is A Pound A Day!

London, UK – March 5, 2012 – Shoreditch was lit up by a touch of Essex glamour as Brentwood’s finest crossed saucepans to support poverty campaign Live Below the Line.

TOWIE Cook Off Line Up

You’d think Madonna was just about to jump out of the kitchen cupboard by the number of photographers and flashbulbs. Instead we were treated to the cooking charms of Lauren Goodger, Peri Sinclair, Lauren Pope and Frankie Essex at the Live Below the Line cook off.

Stars including Lauren Goodger and Lauren Pope competed in a charity cook-off at the Shoreditch Waterhouse restaurant. The two teams (aptly named ‘Salty Potatoes’ and ‘Reem Rovers’) produced dishes using only the most frugal of ingredients.

The stars were on hand to help raise awareness of the charity initiative, Live Below the Line that challenges people to live off £5 for 5 days for all food and drink. From 7^th to 11^th May, thousands of people across the UK will spend just £1 each day on food and drink, and use their daily experiences to bring extreme poverty to the forefront of conversation in homes and workplaces. Living on less than £1 is the daily reality of those who live in extreme poverty.

James ‘Arg’ Argent, Brentwood’s crooner, said about the initiative: “A pound a day really doesn’t go far! Live Below the Line has really put my own lifestyle into perspective and I am proud to be supporting such a great cause. I definitely urge people to sign up for the Live Below the Line challenge.”

Frankie Essex and Lauren Pope from TOWIE

Lauren Pope, the glamorous DJ and entrepreneur, commented: “Until I took part in the Live Below the Line’s cook-off, I didn’t really understand what extreme poverty meant. Having barely £1 a day to live off is madness. I am proud to support the campaign as it has taught me a lot. Please do get sponsored to live off £1 a day for a week in May – see how much change you can make out of one pound!”

Participants signing up to the challenge have the opportunity to choose to be sponsored to support organisations fighting extreme poverty around the world including Christian Aid, Malaria No More UK, Restless Development, RESULTS UK, The Salvation Army, UNICEF UK and many more.

Other individuals who have shown their support for the Live Below the Line campaign include Hugh Jackman, David Cameron, Boris Johnson, and Bonnie Wright.

TOWIE Cook Off with Frankie Essex serving dinner

We only got the chance to taste the Reem Rangers’ dish of peas and noodles and it was very tasty. We’d heard the girls were hungry and had put aside a plate of the meatballs for themselves. The Salty Potatoes won anyway and were suitably rewarded with more flash bulbs to recharge their batteries. It was less the battle of noodles and balls as of handbags and fake lashes. The girls were very gracious and posed for photos endlessly. The PR ushered the girls out at the end calling the cab driver in closer as there were some ‘quite famous faces’ getting in. If they keep doing things like this they will be, and for good.

We met the wonderfully passionate Glenda of the Shoreditch Trust who run the Waterhouse Restaurant – an ethical, not for profit

For more information, please visit www.livebelowtheline.com/uk

If you ever wonder how it is at one of these Press events – just take a look at this footage and see how hard the girls work.

TAKE CARE – this really contains a LOT OF FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY