FOX has picked up Junior Masterchef, a new culinary competition series for talented kids as part of a new multi-year deal with award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay. Junior Masterchef is based on the hugely successful U.K. format and extends the Masterchef brand in the U.S. to include a younger group of aspiring masterchefs. Produced by Shine America and One Potato Two Potato (joint-venture between Ramsay and Optomen), Junior Masterchef will give budding cooks the opportunity to showcase their talent, culinary smarts and passion for food through a series of delicious challenges and cook-offs.
Similar to Masterchef, Ramsay will be joined by restaurateur and winemaker Joe Bastianich and acclaimed chef Graham Elliot on the judging panel. Shine International handles distribution for the Masterchef format. Elisabeth Murdoch, Eden Gaha, Paul Franklin, Robin Ashbrook, Gordon Ramsay, Adeline Ramage Rooney, Patricia Llewellyn and Ben Adler serve as executive producers.
As part of the new deal, FOX also has picked up one additional season of Hell’s Kitchen and two more seasons of Masterchef. The deal will extend Hell’s Kitchen to a 13th season and bring Masterchef to a fifth and sixth season. The addition of Junior Masterchef brings the total number of Ramsay-led shows airing on FOX to five.
“Gordon brings an incredible level of energy and passion to each of his series that our viewers absolutely love, so we are thrilled that he will continue building his brand here on FOX,” said Darnell. “He’s a global superstar, and the success and longevity of his unprecedented five series on our network proves that America just can’t get enough of Gordon.”
