'I beat dyslexia at school by baking cakes for my teacher .. I wanted to show her that I was good at something' EXCLUSIVE: LOUISE FROM RTE'S THE RESTAURANT TELLS HOW SHE BEAT DISABILITY TO BECOME STAR.

Byline: By MAEVE QUIGLEY

THE latest star of RTE's The Restaurant has revealed she overcame dyslexia to become a top cook.

Petite pastry chef Louise Lennox told how it was her disability that helped start her media career.

She explained: "I have been a professional chef for 13 years since I went to the Dublin Institute of Technology - but I have been baking all my life.

"I began because I am dyslexic and at primary school I had to do remedial reading.

"I hated the word remedial because I thought it made me sound stupid and I don't think special needs is much nicer.

"But I wanted to show the teacher that I was good at something so I made cakes for her.

"And I suppose that's where it began.

"All five kids in my family are dyslexic but my parents aren't.

"But now I don't mind talking about it and all the kids in the family are creative. One of my sisters is an artist and interior designer who worked in America for 10 years.

"And one of my brothers was the animator for the Ninja Turtles and helped set up the company Brown Bag for Give Up Your Aul Sins." Louise, 29, said she was bullied at school because of her dyslexia but her parents gave her the self-confidence she needed to become a top chef.

She added: "I hid my dyslexia the whole way through secondary school - none of my teachers knew about it but that was my choice.

"I hated being asked about it - I was terribly embarrassed to admit it.

"But I don't mind now and all the kids in my family have our parents to thank for our great self-belief.

"When I was reading aloud at school, girls used to laugh at me and it was terrible for my self-esteem.

"My parents called them educated idiots and told me it didn't mean that I wouldn't get on in life.

"So it was their encouragement that got me where I am today."

Louise said she talked a lot to hide her dyslexia at secondary school.

She added: "That's where my gift of the gab was born and the first thing I did on radio was a programme about dyslexia and how I got into baking. From that I did some stuff on Ryan Tubridy's show and one of the producers of The Restaurant heard me on the programme and asked me to take part in the show this year."

Louise's ambition is to get the country baking and open her own shop.

But she loves being in The Restaurant where a mystery celebrity chef cooks up a few treats for critics Tom Doorley and Paulo Tullio.

Louise said: "We have a great team in The Restaurant and I really enjoyed going to Athlone on location to shoot the series.

"As far as the judges go I see Tom Doorley as the Simon Cowell of the show and Paulo Tullio as Sharon Osbourne."

The show returns to our screens tonight where the celebrity chef will be rugby pundit Tom McGurk.

Louise said: "I have had great fun with the guests so far.

"But I am 5ft-nothing and anyone who has seen Tom McGurk will know he is enormous.

"Throughout the show he called me Smurf Chef and I called him The Big Friendly Giant."

THE Restaurant can be seen on RTE1 tonight at 8.30pm.

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CAPTION(S):

TALL ORDER: Rugby giant Tom McGurk carries chef Louise Lennox; RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: Louise with Tom and chefs