Come Dine With Me has given us a string of never-to-be-forgotten TV moments, perpetuated endless memes and uncovered some world-class culinary talent. Ok, that last one might not be entirely accurate. But the food show, which has been providing the UK with culinary entertainment for its 17 years on air, is set to undergo a transformation this year.
Channel 4 has confirmed that it's launching a spin-off version of Come Dine With Me for 2022 which will pit professional chefs and restaurateurs against each other, rather than amateur cooks, “in a bid to be crowned the best independent restaurant in their town, county or city,” a Channel 4 statement divulges.
The chefs will be cooking in their professional kitchens at their respective restaurants, with dinners taking place in the middle of normal service, and contestants will be scored out of 20, rather than 10 as is the case in the original series. There will be three local restaurants competing in each self-contained episode, with each eatery selecting two team members – such as the owner and head chef – to take on the challenge. The series will feature 20 hour-long episodes.
Obviously, it’s a little different to the original programme, which sees four home cooks prepare a three-course dinner at each of their homes in a bid to win a £1,000 cash prize.
As for whether the voiceover for The Professionals version will be led by none other than actor and comedian Dave Lamb (who also narrates the regular show), the answer is yes, it will.
The iconic whisk-in-mouth moment
Channel 4's Head of Daytime and Features Jo Street said: "Come Dine With Me continues to be one of Channel 4's best loved programmes with many memorable dinners served all over the UK in over 2,000 episodes.’’
"CDWM: The Professionals promises to really raise the stakes and we’re delighted to dish up this new extension on Channel 4 in 2022 to complement existing favourites Come Dine With Me and Couples Come Dine With Me."
The longstanding success of Come Dine With Me is perhaps best attributed to its fundamental authenticity and British humour. And while there might not be any whisk-in-mouth moments set to feature in the anticipated series (we're dealing with professional chefs, after all), we can only hope the show retains its synonymous sardonic tone for the professional revamp.
In other foodie TV entertainment, Gordon Ramsay is set to host a new series called Future Food Stars - aka FFS.