A Portishead girl got to meet a world-renowned chef – because she was too young to enter a studio audience to see him record a television show.

Meili Parkinson, who is a year three pupil at St Peter’s Primary School, managed to get a picture and an autograph of celebrity chef Ken Hom when she met him in London.

The youngster had hoped to watch Ken in action as he filmed Saturday Kitchen for the BBC, but at the age of eight she was told she was too young to sit in the audience.

However, Meili still got to meet him thanks to a bit of parental help.

Her mother, Yue Parkinson, told the Times: “I am Ken’s friend and his Chinese consultant working with him over having his autobiography translated and published in China next year.

“I had a meeting with Ken, so I brought Meili with me because she is Ken’s fan.”