FOX Networks Group Asia is set to launch the first season of the original series Celebrity Chef: East Vs West, which will air on Fox Life, FOX+ and Nat Geo People across the Asia Pacific and on Tencent in China.
The five-part series is an original production that showcases a culinary competition between Hong Kong superstar Nicholas Tse and celebrity chef David Rocco. Celebrity Chef: East Vs West will premiere on Fox Life and FOX+ in the first half of 2018 and will be syndicated exclusively in mainland China by FNGA partner Tencent.
Tse will represent the East, while Rocco will represent the West in the culinary competition. The show sees the celebrity chefs travel around Asia learning about a city, its food and its culture, and prepare a native dish handpicked by a local chef. The final two episodes will be shot in two destinations built, owned and operated by the Sunway Group: Sunway City and The BanjaranHotsprings Retreat in Malaysia, which are the official premier destination partners of this series.
Sam Gollestani, the head of entertainment production at FNGA, said, “Both David and Nic have a wealth of experience and expertise they can bring to the table, making this first season of Celebrity Chef the one to watch. The competition promises to be a memorable one as both chefs bring not only their extensive knowledge to our screens, but also their highly captivating on-air personalities and fascinating careers and back-stories. FNGA is very much looking forward to bringing these two charismatic chefs together and uncovering Asia’s best dishes.”
Tina Ma, the senior VP of Tencent Penguin Pictures, commented, “Culinary shows are very popular in China. We expect drama, fireworks and the best of cooking from both East and West as these popular chefs battle it out in this culinary adventure, and are looking forward to bringing it to screens across China in partnership with FNGA in early 2018.”
“Sunway has long been a supporter of showcasing talent in Asia and we are looking forward to working with FNGA and renowned global chefs to present episodes of Celebrity Chef: East Vs West,” said Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO, Sunway Group’s founder and chairman.
