Sunday Brunch host Simon Rimmer reveals his secret to looking good at 60

Simon Rimmer has revealed his secret to looking good at 60 – with the TV chef saying he never eats processed foods and attends three boxing workouts a week.

The Sunday Brunch presenter, who has helmed the Channel 4 show for the past 17 years alongside co-presenter Tim Lovejoy, 55, reached the milestone age in May and admits he also owes his youthful appearance to “good genes’. ‘

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the father-of-two explained that sticking to a healthy ‘Mediterranean diet’, drinking two liters of water a day and following a strict skin care regimen has kept him looking and feeling young.

He said, ‘I’ll take care of myself. I’m not a big drinker and I exercise all the time. I don’t eat processed food, I do all the things people tell you to do, I eat a lot of vegetables, a lot of fish and a lot of legumes.

‘I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and drink liters of water. I probably drink two liters of water every day without fail. That Mediterranean diet, people in the Mediterranean don’t look gorgeous without good reason. Avoiding junk food is most important.

‘I have good genes. My dad turns 90 next month, he’s a little old and frail, but mentally he’s still absolutely amazing, and my mom is 86 and goes to the gym three times a week. My sister is 63 and she looks 20 years younger.’

Simon admitted that there are times when he has weak moments and indulges in the occasional takeaway: “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I never have a dirty kebab, but I generally cook my own food all the time .

“I sometimes overeat, I’m a chef, I like eating out, but in general I eat very well at home.”

And it’s not just his nutrition that Simon keeps a close eye on.

The Channel 4 star also does three boxing workouts a week and admits he has become ‘obsessed’ with the sport which leaves him feeling refreshed.

He said, “I go boxing three times a week. Historically football was my game and then ten years ago I broke my Achilles tendon so I stopped playing football.

‘Back then running was always my thing, but I have a sore left knee, so I stopped doing that and then I took up boxing and I love it. I’m quite obsessed with it.’

The chef, who owns 28 restaurants across the country, has no plans to slow down now that he’s in his 60s.

Simon hopes to fulfill his lifelong dream of writing his first crime novel after being encouraged to do so by two Sunday Brunch show guests.

He explained, “I’ve decided before I turn 60 that I’m going to have a testimonial year.

‘The goal I’ve been trying to set myself I’ve been trying to write a book for years and I’ve never succeeded.

“We had Josie Long on the show last week and she said I should book myself away for a week in a little house somewhere on my own and I would love to do that.

“Marian Keyes was on the show about three years ago and we had to write for her and she said ‘you really need to write, this is really good’ and then she came on a second time and we had to write something else for her and she said : “I told you before, this is really good.” Maybe this is the year to do it.’

The Sunday Brunch host reveals that the cooking show which also hosts five celebrity guests each week is his dream job and says being a TV chapter allows producers to try new things.

He laughs that the show’s latest feature involves viewers seeing a hidden “Mystery Banana” somewhere on screen, which Simon says is “utter nonsense” but adds to the “joy” of the long-running series.

He said, ‘It’s been 17 years. We were on the BBC for six years and we’ve been on Channel 4 for eleven years now, so every Sunday, even when we moved from BBC Two to Channel 4, we didn’t miss a week.

“We’ve been really lucky that it’s the best track in the world, and we’ve become part of British Sundays and I’m incredibly proud to be top of the Sunday papers.”

“The show operates on Sundays. We’re under the illusion that probably 50 percent of our audience is hungover and I kind of like that. I’ve always been surprised that Channel 4 never managed to land Nurofen or Berocca as a sponsor for the show, because I think it’s an ideal match.

“The show is evolving, although it’s still the same show as when we started, because we perform 52 weeks a year, we get to try new things. We’re not being pressured into a 10-week run like we’re doing now with this ‘Mystery Banana’, which is just utter nonsense, but we love it!’

Simon has teamed up with Sainsbury’s, who launched Book-a-BBQ Garden this week after finding that 71 per cent of Britons are not hosting a barbecue this summer due to lack of space.

Sainsbury’s is offering customers the option to reserve a free BBQ area through Design My Night, which is available from today to Saturday, on London’s South Bank.

And they’ve taken care of the food too, providing lucky guests with complimentary baskets filled with Sainsbury’s summer range, which Simon himself says is delicious.

Simon explained: ‘Basically, Sainsbury’s have put on this great campaign revealing and especially for Londoners that almost two thirds of people in the UK are not hosting a BBQ this year and a big part of the reason is that people aren’t. have the space to do it.

“They’re doing a great thing on the South Bank which is called Book-a-BBQ garden so basically you get 90 minutes of free barbecuing along with Weber all the products you get are free from their great Taste the Difference summer range so you get all those BBQ flavours.

“You have all the grilling experts on hand to help and teach you, so it’s great.” The products are amazing, I’ve really tasted pretty much all the products they use, I get to taste so many things, but their Beef Rib & Brisket Burgers and Greek Inspired Whipped Feta Salad, I’m pretty obsessed with. I literally stood in front of my fridge and ate everything!’

Simon added: ‘One of the problems with barbecuing is that preparation is key, but when you use the products that Sainsbury’s have developed, it’s really easy.

‘The chicken skewers they have with orange, honey and chili are wonderful, you literally take them out of the packaging and on the BBQ, ready.’

• BBQ fanatic and TV chef Simon Rimmer has teamed up with Sainsbury’s to launch the Book-a-BBQ Garden, a first of its kind FREE BBQ space on London’s South Bank, open from Thursday 1st to Saturday 3rd June, available to book on Design My Night