Being Zilli

How does a boy from a dirt-poor farmhouse in the Italian mountains end up running one of London's most popular restaurants? How does he get to count among his friends and customers Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Prince Edward, Mary J Blige, Michelle Collins, Pussy Cat Dolls, Woody Harrelson, David Schwimmer, Paul McCartney and Patsy Palmer? How does he learn to cook in a kitchen with no electricity or running water - and end up serving royalty and all of the biggest names in Hollywood? Aldo Zilli's extraordinary journey is an inspiration to anyone who wants to change their life and follow their dreams. Leaving home at just 16, Aldo dealt with predatory hotel bosses and repeated beatings form violent chefs across Europe. He survived homelessness and hunger - and by the time he was 6 he had overcome the Soho mafia and was running his own Italian restaurant in England. With endless enthusiasm, charm and good humour, Aldo transformed the way London restaurants were run - and soon had every major celebrity flocking to his doors, He has seen his stormy friendship with Chris Evans and Billie Piper turn into a booze-soaked tabloid legend. But away from the glamour and the high life Aldo had also faced terrible private tragedies, he has survived prison, divorce, health scares and financial collapse. Today, slim after Celebrity Fit Club and fronting a new series of cookery shows, Also is happily married, hands on father determined to work hard and carry on living life to the full. He is also as irrepressible and mischievous as ever. This is his hilarious, heart-warming story.

Aldo Zilli is chef/patron of the Zilli restaurant group in Soho, which includes award-winning Zilli Fish and Zilli CafÈ in Brewer Street. Aldo Zilli has made numerous appearances on food programmes, including Saturday Cooks (ITV), Daily Cooks (ITV), The Morning Show (BBC), the Matthew Wright Show (channel 5), GMTV (ITV) and This Morning (ITV) - with lots more to come. He has also taken part in reality TV shows including Celebrity Fit Club and Celebrity X Factor raising money for charity. He is the chef for Thomson Fly and his food was introduced to all flights in 2007. His bestselling cookery books are Aldo and Friends, Zilli Cookbook, Zilli Fish, Simple Italian and his latest is Fish Cook, published in April 2006. He is in the process puff writing a new cookery book based on rustic Italian food.