][1]It had to happen at some point. Simon Cowell already has vast influence over the TV schedules and the music we listen to. Now he’s making a play for what we put in our mouths.
Cowell’s Syco TV, producers of The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, have teamed up with Optomen, producers of the Two Fat Ladies, The Naked Chef, Great British Menu and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, to work on a major new prime time ITV commission called Food.glorious.Food.
Part talent show, part cookery programme and wholly fantastic advertising opportunity for M & S, the show will see a judging team travel the country in search of the very best home cooked, family recipes.
At the end of the series, on the day after the results are announced, the winning dish will be available to buy at M & S stores across the country. All profits go to charity but the winner will also be given £20,000, almost enough for M & S ready meals for a family of four.
Presumably not speaking from his yacht, Simon Cowell said, ‘I love home cooking, which is one of the reasons I wanted to make this show. No one can make roast potatoes like my Mum and I’m sure lots of people feel the same way about their family recipes. This is not a show for snobs. This is giving someone a chance to have their recipe sold in a Marks & Spencer store.’
If you think that your Yorkshire puddings are the culinary equivalent of Pudsey the dancing dog then you can apply to be on the show here.