Ten amateur celebrity chefs including Alex James, Keith Duffy and John Partridge have signed aboard for a new cookery show which will air on UKTV’s Watch next year.
Battlechefs will see the celebs take turns at commanding the kitchen on a cruise ship, with their efforts judged by acclaimed British celebrity chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White.
The series is being produced in association with P&O Cruises and is the channel’s first advertiser-funded programme.
It’ll be filmed across two separate Mediterranean cruises on newly-launched flagship Britannia, with each voyage hosting its own self-contained competition featuring five celebrities who assume the role as Head Chef and prepare a meal for the Captain and his VIP guests.
Each episode will see the chefs discover local dishes in the ports the ship visits before trying to impress the Captain with the knowledge and skills they’ve learnt.
The series will air on Watch in 2016 and was commissioned by UKTV’s Victoria Summer who said: “It’s an energetic show which centres on challenge and good-hearted rivalry, so sits perfectly alongside Watch viewer favourites such as the hugely popular Masterchef Australia.
“Seeing whether our celebs can pull off the menus they’re given against the clock is going to be very entertaining.”
Christopher Edgington from P&O Cruises said, “We are very excited to be making Battlechefs on Britannia. Watch provides an ideal audience to encourage newcomers to cruising and will showcase our food ethos.
“Our cookery school on board provides the perfect set for the show as the celebrities prepare the speciality dishes from around the Med.”
