From lifelong Come Dine With Me fan to celebrity contestant, Vanes-Mari du Toit dishes on cooking under pressure, unexpected friendships and a dream come true – all while juggling major life milestones
With a successful professional netball career behind her and now a well-known TV personality, MC and entrepreneur, Vanes-Mari du Toit is no stranger to competition. This November, we’ll see her competing in a different arena – the kitchen – as part of the cast of the first celebrity edition of the long-running BBC Lifestyle show Come Dine With Me South Africa.
For Vanes-Mari, this opportunity was fulfilling a long-held dream. ‘I am the biggest Come Dine With Me fan,’ she says, recalling how she learnt to cook by watching the show. Back when pausing the television required a decoder and patience, she would stop episodes to write down recipes and work out how contestants prepared their dishes. At home, she would even narrate her cooking steps as though she were already a contestant.
A dream come true – with a side of chaos
‘When I got the call from the production company to be on the show, I thought it was a prank. I initially couldn’t believe it, but then I immediately started thinking, “What am I going to cook?” I didn’t even think about everything else, like the fact that I was relocating and getting married around the same time.’
The timing was extraordinary. Filming took place during the final week of February, as Vanes-Mari prepared to relocate from Pretoria to Cape Town, manage work commitments and organise her wedding. Without a wedding planner, Vanes-Mari had taken on the role herself, meaning she had to arrange the food, flowers and décor for the celebration.
Looking back, she is proud of what she and her husband, Frikkie, managed to pull off. It was an intense time, but one that brought two significant milestones together in a way she will always remember.
Cooking with heart
For someone accustomed to sporting pressure and who has spent years in front of TV cameras, hosting fellow celebrities at her home might sound like just another day at the office. But cooking for TV and inviting people to judge her food and hospitality presented a different kind of challenge.
‘I’m a people-pleaser,’ she admits. ‘I think those who know me well would say that I just want everyone to be happy.’ This sentiment was evident in her approach to the challenge and, ultimately, her menu. Vanes-Mari loves cooking, and doing so for her three younger brothers has made her used to generous portions. On the show, she made sure there would be plenty to go around. ‘I can’t reveal what my dishes were, but what I can say is that I over-catered because I wanted everyone to be really well fed and really happy. The portions were way bigger than they should’ve been, but there were a couple of empty plates, so I was happy,’ she says with a smile.
Courtesy Image
The magic of gathering around a table
With a contestant line-up featuring actors, TV personalities and digital creators from diverse backgrounds, taking part in the show also broadened Vanes-Mari’s perspective on the different cultures, personalities and preferences that come together around a table. ‘As a host, you want to cater to everybody. For me, it was about anticipating what would make this one happy and what would make that one happy. I think the art of hosting also has to do with putting yourself out there and on the plate, and essentially also giving of yourself.’
Being part of the show also gave Vanes-Mari a front-row seat to the dinner-party shenanigans, personality clashes and revealing conversations that got her hooked as a viewer. ‘I have a background in Industrial Psychology, and I loved pre-empting who was going to be friends with whom, who was going to cook what and which personalities would do what.’
More than a trophy
Rather than becoming consumed by the competition, Vanes-Mari focused on what she could control and enjoyed the experience. She also hopes viewers will get to see a more personal side of her. ‘I just wanted to get three courses out there that I enjoyed making, and to engage and get to know everyone,’ she explains. ‘I believe I was truly myself on the show, so I think viewers will see the true me.’
She is equally excited to watch her fellow contestants on screen. As the show’s first celebrity season, it will give audiences the chance to see familiar faces in their own spaces, under pressure and revealing sides of themselves they might not ordinarily share. As for any drama between contestants, she is keeping her cards close to her chest. ‘You’ll have to wait and see,’ she says.
Watching her own episode will be an emotional experience, too. Vanes-Mari jokes that she might even be watching from the delivery room as she gets ready to welcome her little girl. She says tears are inevitable – whether from pride, excitement or the hormones.
Although viewers will have to tune in to see how the celebrity dinner parties unfold, Vanes-Mari already knows what she considers her biggest win. ‘I feel like I’ve won in life just by being on the show. I made amazing friends and had the best experience. It was a dream come true. I am proud of what I did and happy that I did it, and I would do it again.’
Celebrity Come Dine With Me South Africa premieres on BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) on 18 November 2026
Featured Image: Courtesy Image
