This Morning chef shares what she ‘didn’t realise’ about Princess Anne after meeting

TV chef Rustie Lee met Princess Anne when she performed at an event sponsored by the royal, encountering her again a number of years later when performing on stage

This Morning chef Rustie Lee has revealed what Princess Anne said when the pair met. The TV chef and Princess Royal met at the Royal Night of 100 Stars in 1985.

Rustie, who rose to fame on TV-am in the 1980s, sang What I’ll Do and Always at the televised fundraiser for Save the Children at the National Theatre. Anne, 75, sponsored the event as the president of the charity.

After the show, Rustie, who says she was the only performer to sing with the orchestra, claimed the audience were shocked to realise she could sing as well as cook. Writing in Best magazine, she explained they “only saw me as Rustie the chef in those days”.

Her talent was something that appeared to shock the Princess Royal as well. Rustie added: “And when I met Princess Anne afterwards, she said to me: ‘I didn’t realise you could sing.’

“And I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I didn’t realise you knew me,’ which was rather lovely. I was fortunate enough to meet Anne again in Birmingham at the Alexandra Theatre years after that, and she remembered me.”

Rustie says she had a third encounter with Anne at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. She says she was on a bus as part of the procession when she waved at Princess Anne who was with the Royal Family.

She believes she spotted the princess waving back at her. She says it was a “lovely” gesture from a royal known for her no-nonsense attitude.

Rustie went on to explain that singing in front of the crowd outside Buckingham Palace was “phenomenal”, summing up the experience as “something else”. Rustie, 76, has appeared on a whole host of TV shows throughout the years.

She served as a chef and cooking expert on the 1983 version of Good Morning Britain until 1989, returning two years after her departure. She has also appeared in shows such as Who’s Doing the Dishes and Celebrity Big Brother before becoming a regular face on This Morning.

Her cooking career began as a youngster when she would help her parents making curry patties in their family takeaway. She studied at the College of Food in Birmingham to become a master baker.

She says food has always been a huge part of her career even when she was touring the country as a singer. Princess Anne isn’t the only famous face Rustie has encountered during her career either.

She revealed that iconic boxer Muhammad Ali once visited her restaurant. She described the sports star as “more than a dream dinner guest” when asked about the meeting.

Rustie says more than 2,000 people waited outside the venue while Ali ate his food. She described the moment as “phenomenal”.