Fehmida “Fehmz” Jordaan has made a name for herself over the years as a vibrant and charismatic food content creator whose recipes have been added to kitchens across the country.
As her social media following continues to grow, she also has also created her own mocktails brand and founded the Halaal Goods Market.
She took her passion for all things food further by showcasing her cooking skills on the debut season of “Ready Steady Cook South Africa”, which was her first television stint.
“I think there's a part of me that feels as if it's unreal, like is this really happening? It's been an epic adventure,” Jordaan admitted.
“There were so many times when I was signed up and even when filming when I was worried that I'm not adequate enough but there are two things that help me push through my impostor syndrome,” she added.
“I always circle back to something Anele said to me on the very first day of filming, she said: ‘This was not a mistake, you were chosen to be part of this’.
“Mmule from ”Feed my Tribe“ also took me aside one day and said: ‘Stop doubting yourself, you have every right to be here, standing next to all of us, you are enough, don't put yourself down chommie.’"
After putting her self doubts aside, Jordaan has been a revelation on the local reality cooking competition, which has been adapted from the long-running BBC show “Ready Steady Cook”.
Her unique cooking skills and colourful personality has been lauded by viewers who tune in to watch her and other top Mzansi chefs who feature on the show.
“I think I can bring nothing else but my whole self, my personality, my madness, my stress while cooking, my love for chilli and my big mouth,” she joked.
“Ready Steady Cook South Africa”, which hit screens in March, is hosted by multi-talented media personality, Moshe Ndiki.
Airing every weekday, the television programme involves professional chefs such as Jordaan as well as the likes of Chef Neo Nontso, Lorna Maseko and Kelly Njokweni, leading home cooks, who are split between the Red Kitchen and Green Kitchen.
The teams go head-to-head to create three mouth-watering dishes in just 20 minutes, with Ndiki moderating the process and engaging with the chefs and contestants in his kitchen.
Jordaan said that it has been a joy to work on the series.
“The pace, the crew, the team, it’s been something else,” she said.
“It has been a whole learning curve but also it’s the first proper TV production that I have ever been on and everytime I walk on set I look at it, ‘I think wow, this is so real’.”
“I have never been in front of the camera in this way, consistently shooting four episodes a day.”
Jordaan admitted that the experience has not been without challenges.
“Getting three dishes on the table in time, I don’t know how we do it with the variety we are given but we somehow do it.”
“I’m terrified when we start and amazed when we finish, even when I lose, I’m still proud that we get three dishes to the table at the end.”
She is also not surprised that “Ready Steady Cook South Africa” has been well received by viewers.
“It's a relatable show and we have amazing chefs, amazing contestants, a great host and we can connect with the viewer who feels the time crunch for cooking in a short space of time,” Jordaan said.
“I’m hoping we inspire people to cook more and to give them ideas of what to do with the ingredients in their fridge.”
As Jordaan continues to enjoy her time on the show, she has many more plans ahead during the next few months.
“There’s lots in the works but one of the most requested has been a recipe book and I think it’s time for me to think about it seriously, so maybe that will finally come to everyone’s kitchens soon.”
∎ “Ready Steady Cook South Africa” airs Monday through Friday at 7pm on S3 (DStv channel 193).