How is it that Lydia and others on cooking shows can cook all dressed up?!
Answers: If I wear white I always get some sauce or grease on my clothes, but on the cooking shows they often wear their nicest clothes and never spill or splash on themselves.
While many of the previous answers are true, to some extent, in television, the truth is more likely experience. Having been in the food industry for years, we used to know the "newbies" by their soiled aprons or clothes! I never wear an apron as I find them uncomfortable and I am usually well dressed when cooking without soiling my clothes, but I have been cooking for nearly thirty years! The true test is the required chef togs, which are generally white, you cannot face the public with soiled togs! Sous chefs certainly help too, but they too are expected to work without soiling their clothes!
It's called an apron, guy
Aprons and reshooting! (It's the magic of television!)
Because other people do all the prep for the show. They do the messy work and the cleanup.
I think half the battle is that they always have their ingredients prepped for them. They don't have to do all the slicing and dicing that we do. It makes it a lot easier to stay clean in that aspect.
Having a staff of 10 sous-chefs, a makeup artist, a wardrobe person, and video editing staff is important in attempting the Clean Cook feat.
Outtakes.