Eight amateur cooks from seven different counties have stepped into a professional studio kitchen for RTÉ’s Today Show Christmas Home Cook Competition 2026, where public voting will decide who takes home the festive title.
Mentored by chef Trisha Lewis, the nationwide search shortlisted eight contestants to share their recipes and family stories with television viewers across Ireland. RTÉ reported that there are no judges in the competition, leaving the final decision entirely up to the public via a voting form on the RTÉ website.
The shortlisted home cooks represent a diverse mix of backgrounds and culinary approaches from across the country:
- Joanna McCormack, 41, from Kildangan, Co. Kildare, originally from Poland. Cooked Greek Style Fish (Ryba po Grecku).
- Weldon Costello, 55, from Raheny, Dublin, a retired civil servant and B&B proprietor. Cooked Chicken and Chorizo Stuffing.
- Gillian Storan, 39, from Lismore, Co. Waterford, with a background in the arts and theatre. Cooked Spicy Chicken Coconut Broth.
- Charlene Duggan, 42, from Piltown, Co. Kilkenny, a self-taught home baker and food content creator. Cooked Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake.
- Isabelle Kilroy, 52, from Dublin, originally from south-west France and studying food science. Cooked Yogurt Cake (Gáteau au Yaourt).
- Ailish O’Dowd, 47, from Kiltevna, Co. Galway, a marketing consultant. Cooked Rustic Vegetable Bake with Yogurt Flatbread.
- Deirdre Griffin, 45, from Kilnamona, Co. Clare, an intellectual disability nurse. Cooked Guinness Beef Pie.
- Maura MacDonald, 55, from Gorey, Co. Wexford, a no-nonsense cook adapting everyday recipes to be vegan-friendly. Cooked Red Lentil Dahl.
Among the finalists, 47-year-old marketing consultant Ailish O’Dowd said that she is pushing herself out of her comfort zone despite being shy by nature.
“I’m 47 (almost 48!) and I’m from Kiltevna in Galway. I work as a Marketing Consultant, but I love cooking, particularly healthy vegetarian food made with quality ingredients. I’m trying to turn my father into a vegetarian meal at a time. For my first cook with Trisha, I made a Rustic Vegetarian Bake with Yogurt Flatbread,” O’Dowd told the Connacht Tribune. Read MoreShe
Presenters Dáithí Ó Sé, Maura Derrane, and Sinéad Kennedy revealed the finalists live on air, with voting opening on Thursday, according to Galway Bay FM.
The competition advances as the final four contestants secure the opportunity to cook live in the Today Show studio kitchen during the semi-finals. The grand finale will take place live on the show on Monday, December 7, during Christmas week.
The eventual winner of the Today Christmas Home Cook competition will receive a two-day course at the Dunbrody Country House cookery school, which includes a two-night stay with bed and breakfast for two people and one dinner at Dunbrody Country House Hotel. The Today Show airs Monday through Friday at 3.30pm on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player.
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