Carlotta dishes up a good show
When it comes to showbiz, Carlotta certainly knows how to take centre stage.
But put the flamboyant show queen in a kitchen armed with the task of cooking up a three-course meal for three celebrity guests and it makes for interesting television.
In tonight's episode of Foxtel's Celebrity Come Dine With Me Australia, the entertainment icon swaps the feathers and sequins to don an apron and open up her home to former Olympian Lisa Curry, NRL star Sam Thaiday and music virtuoso James Morrison.
And while you'd think that whipping up a hearty feast wouldn't be nearly as tiring as putting on a lively stage performance, Carlotta begs to differ.
"Look, it was a lot of work," Carlotta tells Access All Areas matter-of-factly.
"I was glad to see the end of the week. It really did kill me doing it. We had to film two in Brisbane and two on the Gold Coast. But it was a lot of fun and everyone was really professional, it was a great crew."
Although she hasn't quite retired from the glitz and glamour of showbiz life, being an avid fan of TV cooking shows is what initially spurred Carlotta's decision to be a part of the Foxtel series' fifth season.
"I do watch a lot of cooking shows, and I like cooking, so I thought oh well, may as well do the show to keep my name out there, I look at it that way anyway," she explains, adding that she wouldn't go as far as appearing on other high-pressure reality cooking shows: "But I wouldn't do some of those other shows like MasterChef (laughs)."
As someone who's been working in showbiz for most of her life, it's no surprise that Carlotta wasn't about to hold back when it came to dishing out verdicts of her fellow celebrity dinner hosts.
"I have a reputation for that, I say it as it is, and I don't put up with fools," she said. "I've been in showbiz for 52 years so I'm used to it so I was just going to have fun with it. I wasn't too concerned about the negativity or anything like that because I know what I do."
Nonetheless, Carlotta thinks she still managed to put on a good, if not fun and light-hearted, show.
"I've watched the show myself and I thought I came across as a stupid old comedian," she laughed.
Carlotta's episode of Celebrity Come Dine With Me Australia airs on Foxtel's The Lifestyle Channel tonight at 5.30pm WST with an encore screening tomorrow at 2.30pmWST.
