Gordon Ramsay is no stranger to thrilling cookery competitions, whether he's putting amateur chefs through their paces on Hell's Kitchen or judging MasterChef Junior. Now the 50-year-old is taking on a new challenge, as he joins a line-up of celebrity chefs starring in a new cookery TV show on ITV, hosted by Fern Britton. Culinary Genius will see nine amateur cooks doing culinary battle in a ring-style studio, with a different professional chef presiding over the kitchen each week.
Gordon will kick off the series, closely followed by food gurus including Jean-Christophe Novelli and Rosemary Shrager and This Morning's Phil Vickery. "Culinary Genius is an amazing format that just got elevated to another level with the involvement of these fantastic British chefs as judges and Fern as host," Gordon said in a statement. "I'm excited for the viewers and contestants to be a part of the Culinary Genius Arena."
Gordon Ramsay leads a line-up of celebrity chefs taking part in the series
The father-of-four is renowned for his tough critiques – and not just on camera. The British foodie recently caused a social media meltdown when he began rating Twitter users' dishes, showing off his sense of humour with his harsh yet hilarious comments.
Fern Britton also opened up about taking on the new high-drama show, admitting she was having a blast working on the project. "I am a huge fan of cookery shows and this one adds an extra level of energy and learning," she admitted. "To be working with Gordon, Rosemary, Jean-Christophe and Phil is just great! Is it possible to have too much fun?"
Fern Britton will host Culinary Genius
In the thrilling competition from Studio Ramsay production, each episode will see a professional chef demonstrating two of the tasks competitors will face. Contestants will then battle it out in three rounds.
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The first will see them taking on a five-minute knife skills test, chopping up ingredients while being timed, and then judged by the professional chef on quality and quantity: the weakest three will be eliminated. Round two will be a gruelling test in the preparation of a specially-chosen ingredient, and once again the trio deemed unsuccessful by the chef will be sent home. The final three will then use the ingredient they prepped along with others to create a stunning dish: the winner takes home a cash prize and will earn the title 'Culinary Genius'.