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MasterChef Season 15 Final 12 Pairs (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

While there have been many culinary shows in the past years, MasterChef remains elite and one of the most loved. Season 15 of the culinary series is here and is judged by Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Tiffany Derry. The theme of the season is Dynamic Duos, giving it a unique and fun twist.

For the first time, the competitive show features pairs of cooks competing together with the hope of winning the title and receiving a $250,000 prize. Fans are loving the different dynamics of the season with pairs of different areas and having different relationships. Here are the top 12 pairs.

MasterChef Season 15: Meet The Top 12 Pairs In The Running

First things first, Season 15 of MasterChef premiered on May 21, 2025, on Fox. A new episode airs every Wednesday at 8 pm Et on the network. As for the pairs competing, the following are in...

Tonight on MasterChef, the duos who failed to get white aprons in the audition rounds get a surprise second chance. The returning pairs must convince judges Gordon Ramsay, Tiffany Derry, and Joe Bastianich that they deserve aprons by making three identical, restaurant-worthy dishes. Just four duos will redeem themselves and join the top eight white apron winners — securing their place in the Top 12.

The all-new “Second Chance Battles” episode of MasterChef: Dynamic Duos airs Wednesday, June 4 (8:00-9:02 Pm Et/Pt) on Fox. Follow our live blog below to find out which Dynamic Duos redeemed themselves and who was chopped for the last time.

The Challenge

Tonight, all eight teams will be cooking at the same time. Their task? Make three identical dishes — one for each judge — in 45 minutes. With no other guidelines, these dynamic duos can make whatever dish best displays their skills in the kitchen. See their second-chance dishes and critiques below.

On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 8:00 Pm, “MasterChef” returns to Fox with another exciting season of culinary competition. Amateur chefs from across the country will step into the kitchen, ready to showcase their cooking skills. Under the watchful eyes of Gordon Ramsay and a panel of other talented chefs, these hopefuls will face a variety of cooking challenges that test their creativity and technique.

This season promises to be filled with intense moments as contestants strive to impress the judges and avoid elimination. Each episode will feature unique challenges, from mystery box creations to team cook-offs, pushing the chefs to their limits. The pressure will be high, and the stakes even higher, as only the best will move forward in the competition.

Fans of the show can expect plenty of drama, excitement, and mouth-watering dishes. As the competition heats up, the journey to become the next culinary master will captivate audiences.

If you love high stakes and higher levels of flavor perfection with your TV shows, this is the bundle for you.

Cooking competition shows are packed with unscripted drama, dynamite flavors, and often colorful or downright bombastic judges who can tear even the most delicate-looking dishes to shreds. Cooking competition shows are some of the most popular unscripted series on TV, and we think it’d be a downright crime to pay Michelin-star prices to watch a good selection of them.

That’s why we’ve put together this bundle of four streaming services that will let you watch some of the best unscripted cooking shows on TV for less than $30 per month. Check out what we found!

What’s the best budget streaming bundle for watching cooking competition shows?

Max

Hulu

Netflix

Roku Channel

Max

Max is packed with favorites from the Food Network, including “Beat Bobby Flay,” ” Guy's Grocery Games,...

The newest season of Fox's MasterChef debuted this past week, revealing to the masses that judge Aaron Sanchez had been replaced on the hit reality series. Sanchez, a renowned chef and restauranteur from New Orleans, served on the show's judging panel alongside host/franchise figurehead Gordon Ramsey and Joe Bastianich for seven seasons, joining the cooking competition show in 2019.

However, MasterChef Season 15 debuted on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, without Sanchez at the judge's table, as the hit series replaced the longtime series star for its latest batch of episodes. 

Since 2010, MasterChef has debuted new seasons on Fox, pitting some of America's best culinary minds (both professional and not) against one another for a cash prize of $250,000 and the title of 'MasterChef.'

Read full article on The Direct.

Interactive and sports-related unscripted shows will be trending next, predicts Alejandro Rincón, CEO of Endemol Shine Boomdog, the largest indie production company in Latin America. Several interactive shows are in the pipeline at the Mexico City-based company while a prototype for a sports-related unscripted program is the upcoming “Copa Combate” series which Endemol Shine Boomdog is developing with La Jaula Studios. The six-episode series covers “Copa Combate,” the apex of Mixed Martial Arts (Mma) fighting and the only one-night, eight-fighter, single-elimination tournament in the sport.

In an exclusive interview with Variety, Rincón traced the rise of his company that began in his home country, Venezuela, under the name Cinema Concept, where he, armed with a degree in Social Communication and Graphic Design, started creating graphic packages for burgeoning cable companies in 1997.

Alejandro Rincón, CEO, Endemol Shine Boomdog

“We started to build a very good relationship with the cable companies – Sony,...

Rod Stewart’s daughter, Kimberly, is expecting her second child at the age of 45.

Kimberly posted the announcement to Instagram alongside a photo of herself in a floral dress cradling her baby bump. She wrote, “Baby boy coming soon,” with a blue emoji heart. She did not reveal the father of the child or the due date and disabled all comments on the post.

>More: Rod Stewart Slams ‘Master Chef’ Host Gregg Wallace For ‘Humiliating’ His Wife: ‘You’re A Tubby, Bald-Headed, Ill-Mannered Bully’

This marks Kimberly’s first Instagram post of the year, since October 2024.

Kimberly’s stepmother, Stewart’s wife Penny Lancaster, posted a congratulations to her Instagram stories, sharing Kimberly’s photo and writing, “So happy you’re becoming a mom again.”

Kimberly shares her elder child, Delilah, 13, with her ex, Benicio Del Toro.

Kimberly, whom Stewart shares with his ex-wife Alana Stewart, is Stewart’s second...

Many anime fans enjoy watching shows for the action-packed scenarios series can come up with. However, sometimes, a fan craves something a little more peaceful, where the series can progress with no big fights or conflict. While arguments and combat have their place, sometimes an anime with zero action just feels better.

The anime come in all different varieties. Some feature singing idols rocking out to catchy pop songs. Others feature a slice-of-life telling a dramatic story that can touch one's heart. No matter what the circumstances are, sometimes it's better to have no action at all than too much action to stay engaged with a series.

Zombie Land Saga is Full of Friendship, Songs, & a Quest for Dreams Streaming on Crunchyroll

Zombie Land Saga is a zombie series unlike any other. Instead of craving human flesh, these zombie idols merely want to sing to revitalize the Saga prefecture. They...

Heo’s Diner starring Xiumin and Exy Announces Premiere Date ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Exo’s Xiumin is making his big acting comeback, holding Wjsn’s Exy’s hands. The two K-pop idols will channel their actor mode in the upcoming drama Heo’s Diner. The production team has announced the premiere date for this highly-anticipated rom-com, and it will arrive sooner than you think.

On February 19, Korean media outlet The Fact reported that the final casting lineup for Heo’s Diner had been unveiled along with the long-awaited premiere date. “The first episode will air on March 24,” the team revealed to the outlet, adding, “Exo’s Xiumin, Exy, Lee Se On, and Lee Soo Min will appear and show off their unique chemistry.”

Fans are excited to witness Xiumin’s return to acting and his chemistry with Wjsn’s Exy.

Heo’s Diner is an upcoming fantasy rom-com set in...

Celebrity MasterChef Review: Dipika Kakar & Tejasswi Prakash Already Seem Like Top 2! ( Photo Credit – SonyLiv )

It has been five days since Celebrity MasterChef started airing on Sony Entertainment Television and the Sony Liv app, and trust me, these five episodes have left me surprised at the hard work these celebs are putting on the show!

Right from episode 1, the makers – Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine, have made sure to keep the format of the show intact. So the 11 celebs, Tejasswi Prakash, Dipika Kakar, Gaurav Khanna, Nikki Tamboli, Archana Gautam, Abhijeet Sawant, Faisal Shaikh, Kavita, Rajeev Adatia, Chandan Prabhakar, and Usha Nadkarni have been put to the grilling since day 1.

While judges Ranveer Shorey and Vikas Khanna made sure to mentor them and push their limits well, host and judge Farah Khan has also helped them shine better, supporting them and correcting them whenever they needed.

Trending Trp Report 2025 Week 3: Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah...

The popular farming mobile game, Hay Day, is temporarily getting a new Npc to join the cast, although this reality TV personality is not known for peace and tranquility. Gordon Ramsay, the star of shows such as Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and Master Chef, is commonly remembered for his harsh temper and angry outbursts. However, his recently released ads show a softer side as he prepares to make his debut appearance as an Npc on the free game, Hay Day.

An ad which Ramsay recently shared on his Instagram page perfectly captures the mood of this calming farm simulation mobile game as he unveils his calm persona. Instagram user itsjennakhan sums it up well in a comment on the video, "This might be my favorite ad ever", which many have agreed with. The ad is expertly crafted to grab a viewer's attention with its subtle humor and perfect casting.

View...

Gregg Wallace, co-presenter of the reality competition series MasterChef UK and its celebrity and professional spinoffs, is going on the defensive amid allegations that he has behaved inappropriate on set. In a series of Instagram Stories videos on Sunday, December 1, Wallace said that “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age” are behind the allegations. He also suggested female MasterChef contestants made “sexual remarks or sexual innuendo” while filming the show. “Now I’ve been doing MasterChef for 20 years — amateur, celebrity, and professional MasterChef— and I think, in that time, I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life,” Wallace said in one clip. “And apparently now — I’m reading in the paper — there’s been 13 complaints in that time. Now, in the newspaper, I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef.

British rocker Rod Stewart has called out Greg Wallace for his departure from U.K.’s MasterChef cooking show, following allegations of the presenter’s inappropriate sexual comments.

In a post to Instagram on Thursday, Stewart slammed Wallace: “Good riddance Wallace…you humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn’t you? You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya.”

He signed off “Sir Rod Stewart.”

It was reported earlier on Thursday that an investigation had been launched against Wallace and he would no longer be involved with the BBC competition show.

Allegations of inappropriate comments were made by 13 individuals who Wallace had worked with across a wide range of shows he hosted over 17 years.

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A spokesperson for BBC said a statement,...

A popular BBC TV show could potentially receive an American adaptation. The Office famously started as a British concept, but it achieved much more success overseas. Hell's Kitchen, Masterchef, and House of Cards all originally began as British productions, before coming to the U.S., and each receiving small changes that helped to set the shows apart. None of these series were 1-to-1 adaptations. They all managed to secure immense success after shifting away from their original networks.

Coming to America is not a guarantee of success.

There have, of course, been extremely successful adaptations, but that is not the only possibility. There have been other shows that have not seen much from domestic audiences. As If, An American Education, and Teachers were all canceled before their first seasons ended. There were also numerous other shows that networks were in talks to develop, but which never entered production. Coming to...

The poster tells the story of the show: Newlyweds look forlorn as they stand knee-deep in a tropical ocean with only a bobbing red suitcase for company. As the title confirms, the unlucky couple are Stranded on Honeymoon Island.

The series (think Married at First Sight meets Survivor) was one of the buzziest new formats at Cannes’ MIPCOM television market last week — and the poster, which adorned the walls of a Palais stand, said much about the interconnected nature of the business. Here, in this sunny corner of France, was a German producer selling a show born in Denmark, raised in Belgium, and putting down roots in the UK.

Stranded on Honeymoon Island’s home on British shores is the BBC. Three sources tell Deadline that the national broadcaster secured the show amid interest from ITV and Channel 4 after it was auctioned by Cpl, the maker of Love Is Blind: UK.

MasterChef. Supergirl. The Kelly Clarkson Show. These productions all initially filmed in California but were convinced to leave at least in part due to more lucrative tax credits in others regions. Now, as runaway production and Hollywood cost-cutting threatens the state’s hold on the film and television business, Gov. Gavin Newsom is stepping in.

An early budget proposal looks to vastly increase California’s current cap for a program that provides tax relief to producers across the business from $330 million to $750 million a year, Newsom is set to reveal on Sunday. The expansion would shower as much as $3.75 billion in tax credits to the industry over five years starting in 2025.

If passed, the subsidy would be the most generous offered by any state except Georgia, which doesn’t have a ceiling on the amount it gives to productions per year. That includes New York, Hollywood’s second most-popular destination...

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Gordon Ramsay has built a reality TV empire with his fiery personality and willingness to speak the truth. He rose to fame in the USA for his role in Hell's Kitchen and later appeared in Kitchen Nightmares, MasterChef, and countless other reality TV shows that revolved around his brilliance and aggression.

Hell's Kitchen is an American version of a cooking competition show that Ramsay introduced in the UK. The reality show sees 20 contestants broken down into two teams who must work for a dinner service or undergo a series of cooking challenges. The show stood out from traditional cooking shows due to Gordon Ramsay's short temper and angry rants. It's a small piece of the puzzle that's made Gordon a global success.

While Gordon has a plethora of rants attached to his name, one rant took Gordon Ramsay and Hell's Kitchen to reality TV infamy.

“Hell’s Kitchen” celebrates its milestone 350th episode on Fox Wednesday, October 24. In its 23rd season, the cooking competition led by Chef Gordon Ramsay has become a staple of reality TV and launched the foul-mouthed culinary powerhouse into superstar status.

Ramsay was first introduced to American audiences when “Hell’s Kitchen” premiered in May 2005. Viewers were quickly drawn to his angry tirades in the kitchen that led to some of the most popular memes and phrases on social media. Idiot sandwich, anyone? Each season sees cooks competing to become a head chef at one of Gordon’s flagship restaurants. Some of the winners have even gone on to high-ranking positions within Gordon’s other business ventures.

Season 23 is a “Head Chefs Only” theme, and for the first time ever, all 18 contestants are head chefs at their respective restaurants at home. There are currently 13 chefs still in the running to become this year’s champ.

‘Homecoming: The Tobi Amusan Story’ Trailer

Nile Media Entertainment Group has boarded a new documentary from Athlst and MagicLine Films about world record hurdler Tobi Amusan. Nile Media will rep global sales on “Homecoming: The Tobi Amusan Story.”

Amusan became world record holder in the 100m hurdles in 2022 and is also a three-time Diamond League champion. Athlst Studios CEO Lanre Aina and Sulaiman Folarin co-direct the documentary.

“This documentary is a window into my world,” she said. “It’s about the sweat, tears, and countless hours of training that go into those few seconds on the track.”

Check out the trailer below:

Banijay Germany to Adapt ‘MasterChef,’ ‘Survivor’

Banijay Germany announced today that its entertainment label, Brainpool, will produce local adaptations of “MasterChef” and “Survivor” in partnership with AcunMedya. Both shows will air on the German channel Sport1. Represented globally by Banijay Entertainment, “MasterChef” was created by Franc Roddam and received more than 70 local commissions,...

For years, Gordon Ramsay and his hit MasterChef franchise called a converted soundstage in Los Angeles home. From there, contestants crisscrossed the 30-mile zone where Hollywood holds court to film on location at glitzy mansions and Michelin-starred restaurants. Tens of millions of dollars flowed into the economy across the Fox show’s 14 seasons.

Enter Australia, which has aggressively been courting the production to relocate. It was a tempting proposition. The burgeoning film hub, unlike California, allows unscripted programming to receive tax credits to shoot there. Still, the math didn’t make sense, at least not until permitting issues with MasterChef’s L.A. soundstage emerged that would require major renovations. So, starting next year, producers will fly dozens of home cooks — and the troves of cash that come with a big-budget network production — to shoot in Australia.

“It’s distressing,” says Paul Audley, president of the permitting office FilmLA. “We...

Superindie Banijay Entertainment, the France-headquartered international content production and distribution giant with more than 130 production companies across 23 territories, has a catalog of over 185,000 hours of original programming, including such hits as Survivor, Black Mirror, Marie Antoinette, Peaky Blinders, MasterChef, and Big Brother. And it has an executive role that is unlike most others.

In early 2023, the company hired HBO Europe veteran Steve Matthews as an addition to its central scripted department. The former executive of Octagon Films in Dublin (Love/Hate) and consulting producer on all three seasons of Showtime’s The Borgias, starring Jeremy Irons, has since then worked as content partnerships executive at Banijay. He is tasked with contributing to the production development process, “supporting in driving co-production opportunities across the Nordics, Spain and beyond, and generally building out the business’ pipeline and creative partnerships primarily across drama.”

Matthews will be speaking at MIPCOM 2024 on Tuesday during a “Drama...

Gordon Ramsay is cooking up his first show for Netflix.

The MasterChef USA presenter will star in a docuseries that will chronicle his plans to open culinary experiences in London’s second tallest building, 22 Bishopsgate.

Cameras have also been granted access to Ramsay’s family, including his wife Tana, as he juggles home life with professional commitments.

Produced by Studio Ramsay Global, Being Gordon Ramsay will filmed over a period of nine months. Netflix did not announce a premiere date, but the culinary venture launches in February 2025.

The Ramsay series is directed by Dionne Bromfield, with executive producers Amanda Westwood, Deborah Sargeant, and Lisa Edwards. Jess Holder is the production executive.

Netflix announced the docuseries at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Wednesday.

Ramsay's tough childhood in public housing fueled his drive to succeed in the culinary world, despite his father's disapproval. The celebrity chef's TV success and massive culinary empire have led to a jaw-dropping salary and soaring restaurant revenues. Ramsay's $220 million net worth is mostly invested in real estate, including lavish properties in London, Los Angeles, and England.

Love him or hate him, Gordon Ramsay's angry reputation on TV has given him unrivaled success among celebrity chefs. But it wasn't easy getting where he is. As a child, the British restaurateur lived in public housing with barely any food. Now, with the positive impact of The Bear on Kitchen Nightmares, his value has just skyrocketed in his 25 years on TV.

It's no wonder he gets a jaw-dropping salary from MasterChef and his other shows like Hell's Kitchen, which he didn't copyright. Ramsay's restaurants have even reached a revenue milestone recently.

In search of epic vacations, hidden gems, and unique getaway ideas? It’s time to ignite your wanderlust with some of the best travel podcasts.

With stories primed to pique your curiosity and handy hints on how to make it all happen, let this be your call to adventure. If you’re ready to level up your next trip, let the journey begin!

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

By Stitcher Studios and Atlas Obscura

For those looking to experience the weird and wonderful, this is the ideal place to start. Travel to the bizarre in these less-than-30-minute bites with host Dylan Thuras and an array of reporters.

It’s the perfect way to uncover our world’s myriad oddities, from Gourdlandia — which, weirdly, is exactly what it sounds like — to Jerry’s Hat Museum and beyond. Where will “Atlas Obscura” take you? There’s only one way to find out!

Chef Ramsay started as a dishwasher, showing his journey from humble beginnings to culinary greatness. Gordon Ramsay is a black belt in karate, showing his diverse talents and unique career trajectory. Chef Ramsay is a successful restaurateur with 17 Michelin stars, proving his dedication to the hospitality industry.

Gordon Ramsay, known for his show Hell's Kitchen, is one of the greatest and most famous chefs of all time. In addition to his culinary skills, the British chef is known for his fiery temper, an affinity for swearing, and dishing out tough love. He has redefined the culinary standards of every show he has starred in.

Chef Ramsay's first documented television appearance was in the 1999 documentary miniseries Boiling Point. After that, Chef Ramsay produced multiple cooking shows, including big hits like Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef, and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. Chef Ramsay is one of the best chefs of all time, and there are many reasons why.

Fans of Deanna Coln should show kindness to her replacement in the new Jardiance commercial per her Instagram video. Deanna Coln's replacement, Rachel Strutt, was introduced in January, possibly due to a polarized online reaction to the original ad. Companies must navigate public feedback carefully in advertising, balancing information and appeal to create successful campaigns.

A new actor appeared in the 2024 Jardiance commercial, seemingly replacing Deanna Coln. Jardiance is a popular prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and has made a significant impact not only in the healthcare sector but also in the realm of advertising. Known for its role in improving blood sugar levels, diet, and exercise, Jardiance has become a household name, partially thanks to its memorable commercials. One of the faces who initially brought this drug to the forefront of consumer consciousness was Deanna Coln.

Known for her dynamic presence and infectious charisma, Coln has showcased...

Master Chef Judge Kunal Kapur Granted Divorce After Wife Made Wild Allegations ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Celebrity Chef Kunal Kapur, who is a regular guest on the cooking reality show Master Chef and also judged it for two seasons, has been granted divorce after being denied one in the lower court. Kunal appealed for divorce in a family court, which did not pass the judgment in his favor, and he challenged the court’s decision in the Delhi High Court.

In his plea, Kunal mentioned that his wife has been humiliating him in public and regularly disrespecting his parents. The judgment was passed after the hearing of both parties.

The divorce was granted to Kunal Kapur on the grounds of cruelty and humiliation. The bench, in their judgment, said, “We find that the conduct of the respondent (wife) towards the appellant (husband) has been such that it is devoid of dignity and empathy towards him.

Music, food and games will fill Fox’s summer slate.

The network has announced the following premiere dates: I Can See Your Voice and Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Thursday, May 16); Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars (Wednesday, May 22); Beat Shazam and The Quiz With Balls (Tuesday, May 28), MasterChef (Wednesday, May 29) and Name That Tune (Monday, June 3).

More from TVLineSuits' Patrick J. Adams Boards Netflix's Lockerbie Limited SeriesAlex Rider: Watch First Trailer for 'Shocking Conclusion' to Freevee SeriesHouse of the Dragon Season 2 to Debut in June on HBO

New for Food Stars Season 2, Gordon Ramsay and reality-tv vet Lisa Vanderpump...

Hollywood’s historic season of strikes decimated filming in Los Angeles, with the region recording close to the lowest production levels on record.

The decline marks the fourth consecutive quarterly shooting drop, capping off a year in which filming was blocked for over four months. Filming for TV shows, long a mainstay in Los Angeles, saw the steepest dip.

The report from FilmLA reflects the last quarter that accounts for the strikes. The agency said that the three-month period from October to December saw 5,520 shoot days, which represents a roughly 36 percent decline from the same quarter last year. The work stoppages from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA concluded on Sept. 27 and Nov. 9 respectively.

FilmLA noted that the resolution of the strikes “came too late for production to pick up by year’s end,” though runaway production is also a factor. On-location filming in Los Angeles has been continuously declining since 2021 as...

In July 2019, comedian Heather McMahan was at a Lululemon-sponsored Malibu retreat when she got a phone call that changed her life — after a suggestion from Maria Shriver (who followed McMahan, also host of the Absolutely Not podcast, on Instagram), the Today show asked her to join Jenna Bush Hager as a fourth-hour guest co-host.

In her new comedy special, McMahan shares the full, unedited version of that story: when the invite from Today came in, asking her to jump on a redeye to New York while being practically incapacitated by edibles. “They haven’t seen the special yet, but I know Jenna is going to love that part of the story,” McMahan says with a laugh on the eve of Son I Never Had‘s release. “Hoda is the coolest, but I’m sure she’ll be like, wow, what a professional to come after [the] show after having been high for three days.

Sitting in Bars With Cake is a film about best friends Jane and Corinne who embark on a cake-baking quest to expand their horizons. Megan Potthoff, an experienced executive pastry chef, served as the food stylist and culinary producer for the film. Potthoff made over 100 cakes for the film, with each cake reflecting Jane's growth and personality throughout the story.

Directed by Trish Sie and written by Audrey Shulman, Sitting in Bars With Cake will be available to stream on Prime Video starting Friday, September 8th. The film follows best friends, Jane and Corinne, who embark on a cake-baking quest after realizing that their homemade sweets can help them expand their horizons. However, right when everything begins to come together, Corrine is hit with a diagnosis that causes them to reevaluate their goals.

In charge of creating the multitude of cakes Jane bakes throughout the film, Megan Potthoff serves as...

If there is one show on air today that captures the essence of what it's like to work in a professional kitchen, it is, without a doubt, the FX original The Bear. Premiering on FX on Hulu in June 2022, this American drama television series created by Christopher Storer perfectly encapsulates the stress of a struggling family-owned shop nestled in the heart of Chicago. The series has garnered a great deal of critical acclaim since it premiered at has been nominated for 13 Prime Time Emmys, including Outstanding Drama.

Updated July 27, 2023: If you're a fan of The Bear then you'll be glad to know this article was recently updated by Amanda Minchin to include information from new and upcoming seasons.

Season two premiered in June 2023 and saw an increase in viewership, suggesting this show's audience is growing thanks to positive word of mouth. Now that season two has wrapped, and fans...

Mike Darnell has stepped down from his role as President of Unscripted Television at Warner Bros. after a decade at the studio, he announced in a statement Thursday.

“Letting yourself go is always difficult… I took a deep breath, called myself on Zoom and told myself it was time to leave,” he wrote. “I took it surprisingly well. Actually, Channing approached me a couple of months ago, and although I was given the opportunity to stay… it would have meant more changes for both my personal deal and to the general structure of the division.

Darnell added that “a couple of new ventures have come my way” during the discussions, but “even so, deciding to leave was difficult.”

Also Read:

‘A League Of Their Own’ Could Swing Beyond Shortened Season 2 at Prime Video, Says TV Head Vernon Sanders

In his 10 years at the studio, Darnell oversaw programming like “The Voice” and the “Bachelor” franchise.

Milan-based events creator Marco Balich has choreographed and produced a record-breaking 14 Olympic ceremonies, including for the 2006, 2014, 2016 and 2020 Olympics respectively held in Turin, Sochi, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

More recently, Balich and his team created the spectacular ceremony for the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup.

His Balich Wonder Studio has now partnered with global content giant Banijay, which has taken a 51% stake in the outfit he created in 2013.

They are combining their strengths to expand the studio’s scope in various ways, a key one being venturing into immersive live experiences set in the worlds of Banijay IPs such as “Black Mirror” and “Peaky Blinders” in the scripted realm and, interestingly, also “Master Chef” to mention those he cited.

After announcing the deal last week, Balich spoke exclusively to Variety about the strategic rationales behind the Banijay partnership.

You were doing pretty well on your own. Why did you decided to...

We Americans are fascinated with food and the people who prepare and serve it. A quick glance at all of the reality cooking/competition shows on television will confirm this. You’ve got everything from “Master Chef” to “Iron Chef” to “Next Level Chef” to “Chef’s Table,” “Chopped,” “The Great British Bake-Off” and “The American Barbecue Showdown,” for starters. But the legacy of scripted TV shows about cooking and restaurant-ing isn’t nearly as epic, which is why FX on Hulu’s “The Bear” was such a revelation when it launched last summer.

“The Bear” introduced up to the pressure-cooker life inside an Italian beef sandwich shop in Chicago. It captured the visceral, adrenalin-pumping chaos of the food industry in a way nothing had before, showing us just how unglamorous and dangerous (and yet colorful and compelling) a kitchen can be. After just eight episodes, it’s already probably the...

Mumbai, March 14 (Ians) As the cooking-based reality show, ‘MasterChef India’ is heading toward its finale on March 31, some photos from the set have leaked which suggest that Assam’s Nayanjyoti Saikia will be the winner of this season.

Saikia’s photo wearing the ‘MasterChef coat’ and carrying the trophy along with the crew members has been uploaded on the show’s fan page.

The caption reads: “Nayanjyoti lifts the #masterchefindia 7 Trophy… Finally, the Ending was good. Congratulations to you nahhh Boy.”

However, the makers have not made any official announcement about it.

After the post, many of the social media users congratulated the 26-year-old self-taught cook.

One of the fans wrote on Twitter: “Really happy for him as he is the only deserving contestant with ‘good heart’ and ‘great cooking! A person who learnt everything watching youtube & winning a title is amazing”

Saikia was found by celebrity chef Vikas Khanna...

It’s time to slime!

The 2023 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards are back and better than ever. Hosted by Nate Burleson, co-host of “CBS Mornings” and CBS Sports analyst, and digital superstar Charli D’Amelio, the wackiest awards show of them packed on the star power, and of course, the slime.

For the first time ever, the KCAs took place live from the Microsoft Theater — simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, the Nick Jr. channel, TVLand, CMT and MTV2 — celebrating fan-favourite stars from television, movies, sports, music and more. This year’s show also featured extreme logic-defying stunts, wild celebrity collaborations and games, magical illusions and tricks, interactive moments within the Nickverse and epic slimings.

Check out the complete list of winners below!

Television

Favourite Kids TV Show

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Ms. Marvel

Raven’s Home

That Girl Lay Lay

The Fairly OddParents:...

The streamers, led by Netflix, moved into the non-scripted entertainment space in a serious way about five years ago.

This coupled with the fact that the broadcast networks were still having disproportionate success with unscripted shows, opened plenty of opportunities for producers to create new entertainment formats.

Enter former MasterChef showrunner Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton, also an exec producer on the Fox cooking show, who launched The Old School, an independent production company in 2018 with Netflix’s The Final Table, the streamer’s first significant move into the food space.

Since then, the pair have worked with the likes of Helen Mirren, Tan France, Alexa Chung and Gigi Hadid on a number of shiny floor entertainment shows.

They are now gearing up for the premiere of the second season of Netflix’s Next In Fashion, a design competition series with Hadid taking over from Chung and joined by the likes of Hailey Bieber,...

Exclusive: For Banijay Asia’s Deepak Dhar, 2023 is shaping up to be one of the busiest in a three-decade career in Indian media. He has just launched The Night Manager India on Disney+ Hotstar, is delivering several scripted and unscripted shows and is also working to position India has Banijay’s Asian production hub.

“There are four pillars to our business,” he tells Deadline. “Unscripted, scripted formats, original scripted and developing India as the outsourcing hub for a lot of the rest of Asia.”

The theory is countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, which share professional and audience taste similarities to India, will use Banijay’s Indian production assets for remakes of formats such as Temptation Island and Survivor. “They can be easily produced here,” says Dhar, who can tap local tax credits to help finance series.

His team is now at an “advanced stage of...

Celebrity chef Garima Arora, who is seen currently among the panel of judges on the cooking-based reality show ‘MasterChef India’ along with chefs Ranveer Brar, and Vikas Khanna, talked about the challenges that the top nine home chefs or contestants will be facing in the ‘Race to Finale’ week.

She said: “This week, as the home cooks prepare for the ‘Race to Finale’, the challenges will become more difficult. All challenges are designed to put the home cooks’ skills to the test, and their acumen. In the week, I will be one of the challenges presented to the home chefs, and I will ask them to replicate a dish of mine.”

The chef added that these challenges will help the contestants show their talent in the best possible way and bring out their creativity and innovative skills. “These challenges, once again, hone the skills of the home cooks in their...

Where's Home Really? is a brand-new podcast hosted by British-Nigerian writer, broadcaster, and restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa. Best known for his role as a guest judge on BBC One's Masterchef and as one of the lead judges on Channel 4's The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver, Jimi has always been fascinated by the relationship between food, culture, and heritage.

Motion Content Group, an industrious producer and co-financier of Love Island, Wynonna Earp and some 1,800 other series globally, is rebranding as GroupM Motion Entertainment in North America.

The move comes amid a broader pivot toward premium programming.

Motion Content, already well-established in more than two dozen territories, made a major push into the U.S. several years ago, with CEO Richard Foster relocating from London to LA. Those efforts took shape just before Covid upended the production sector.

GroupM Motion Entertainment will be co-led by Foster, Global CEO GroupM Motion Entertainment, and Kirk McDonald, CEO GroupM North America.

Beginning in 2009 as GroupM Entertainment, the unit initially worked with broadcasters such as Viacom’s Channel 5, then owned by controversial British media baron Richard Desmond, to pay for a range of factual and entertainment titles. Multi-faceted deals were structured by covered advertising and international ancillary arrangements. It then moved into drama,...

Mumbai, Feb 21 (Ians) Chef Kunal Kapur, who is known for hosting previous seasons of ‘MasterChef India’, returned to the show as a guest chef and joined judges Ranveer Brar, Garima Arora and Vikas Khanna for ‘The Taste of India’ challenge episode.

He introduced the contestants to the ingredients from different parts of the country and challenged them to prepare dishes that represent India.

Talking about his experience of returning to the show, Kunal said: “The MasterChef kitchen is like home to me, and I have an amazing relationship with the judges. Also, meeting chef Garima after a long time was a wonderful experience.”

Speaking about the task, he said: “The challenge was very special to me as they had to explore various ingredients from across the country. I feel all the home cooks have the potential and zeal to become MasterChef.”

During the episode, Assam’s Santa Sarmah presented ‘Khaja...

Well-known chef Manav Khanna challenged the cooking skills of the contestant Priyanka Kundu during the ‘Immunity Pin’ challenge of ‘MasterChef India’. While Manav prepares a savoury dish called ‘Kaala Kand’, Priyanka makes a dessert, ‘Pink Passion’.

Talking about his experience Manav said: “It was an exciting moment for me to step into the ‘MasterChef’ kitchen. The challenge was tough, but I enjoyed every moment of it. I was actually initially nervous going against Priyanka because she was playing to her strengths, and I am no ‘Dessert King’. I am better at making savoury food and that is what I focused on.”

Priyanka, who is a home cook and has no professional experience added that she was nervous to compete with a professional chef at Gaa restaurant.

She shared: “I was scared but there was a sense of excitement as well because this is an opportunity to compete against a highly...

Powerhouse Banijay Iberia is joining forces with Spain’s top soccer federation Laliga to launch new sports-related content production, Laliga Studios.

The strategic deal sees Banijay tapping into its production expertise and Laliga, its soccer knowledge and reputation, in a drive to establish Laliga Studios as a global benchmark in the creation of content related to sport and its universal values.

Through this partnership, Laliga Studios will produce audiovisual content for Laliga, clubs, sponsors, and broadcasters. It will also work with international platforms and brands in the development, production, and distribution of entertainment, documentary, fiction, and animation content.

Chalo Bonifacino Cooke has been appointed managing director and executive producer of Laliga Studios and will oversee its international growth, which will be boosted thanks to the presence of both companies in multiple markets.

Laliga is “a great generator of narratives around sport and its values. We are eager to use our...

London, UK, Monday 13th February – Audio entertainment platform and podcast production studio Podimo has announced 20+ new podcasts made in partnership with leading UK production companies Listen, Mags Creative, Message Heard, TellTale Industries, Tortoise, Vespucci and What’s The Story Sounds.

Founded in 2019, Podimo has become the fastest growing podcast subscription service in Europe, growing 5x Year-on-Year. The app is currently available in Denmark, Norway, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Finland, and across Latin America, and is expanding to more countries soon.

Podimo creates original content that can travel, amplifying the voices of creators from around the world, and has seen translation success across multiple markets with popular and award-winning shows like Forgotten: Women of Juárez and Murder In the North. Its previous productions in the UK include the chart-topping and award-nominated podcast The Missing hosted by Pandora Sykes, You Don’t Know Me with Chloe Combi and Letters From A Killer with Sky Studios’ Transistor Films.

Midway through the very first episode of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, the 2004 restaurant docuseries starring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, the mercurial cook’s unusually calm voiceover pauses a moment. Ramsay is considering a change in approach to reach Tim, the uninspired 21-year-old chef of Bonapartes in West Yorkshire.

“Maybe it’s me,” Ramsay muses. “I should try the ‘softly softly’ approach.”

Ramsay does opt for the “softly softly” approach, operating slightly more gently with Tim than his usual bombastic bouts of yelling. Ultimately the strategy is unsuccessful. After one night of success, Tim falls back into bad habits at episode’s end and Bonapartes would close within a year … leading to its owner Sue pursuing an unsuccessful lawsuit against Ramsay, alleging that production staged portions of the episode. Ramsay was awarded £75,000 plus court costs.

That bit of behind-the-scenes drama may sound familiar to casual American TV watchers who know Gordon Ramsay from his intense,...

Sharon Levy has been elevated to chief executive officer of Endemol Shine North America, the Banijay-owned studio behind the Emmy Award-nominated “Lego Masters,” “MasterChef,” “Wipeout” and upcoming Showtime series “Ripley,” starring Andrew Scott.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Ben Samek, CEO of Banijay Americas, as Endemol shifts from being a holding company to an independent production studio alongside the nine other Banijay-owned studios.

In her new role, Levy, who previously served as chief content officer since 2021, will manage all aspects of the business and its growth. She will also continue to lead all of the studio’s unscripted and scripted programming efforts from the company’s North Hollywood headquarters.

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“Sharon is one of the most strategic executives in the business, someone whose creative vision is matched only by her market savvy,” Samek said in a statement.

The changes at Banijay Americas continue, with Sharon Levy tapped as the new CEO of Endemol Shine North America.

The elevation of Levy, who was most recently chief content officer, comes after Ben Samek took over Banijay Americas as CEO on Feb. 7.

Samek, in a memo to staff Thursday, also outlined a reorganization of the company. Historically Esna has operated as both Banijay’s holding company in North America and as a production studio. Samek said Thursday that going forward, Esna will be reconstituted exclusively as a production studio, alongside Banijay Americas’ other studios.

“Reconstituting Esna as a pure production studio that lives alongside the nine other studios that form Banijay Americas, each with its own leadership and goals, will afford us the opportunity to work more collaboratively and efficiently and represent ourselves more clearly to our industry partners,” Samek said.

Banijay Americas’ other studios include Bunim Murray Productions, Authentic Entertainment,...

Endemol Shine North America is making some changes at the top.

Sharon Levy has been promoted from Chief Content Officer to Chief Executive Officer as the company segues into becoming a standalone production company.

Endemol Shine North America was previously both a production division and the holding company for a number of production divisions across the group. Following Banijay’s acquisition of Endemol Shine, the company created Banijay Americas to house all of its ten production studios, run by new CEO Ben Samek.

As part of the changes, Levy has been upped to oversee all aspects of Endemol Shine North America’s business, which includes both unscripted and scripted series including Lego Masters, MasterChef, Wipeout and upcoming drama series Ripley.

Levy joined Endemol Shine North America in 2017 as President, Unscripted and Scripted TV. She was previously EVP, Original Series at Spike TV.

Banijay Americas is now comprised of ten production...