Chefs Race: UK vs U.S.: Jamie Oliver's New Show

Chef/world saver Jamie Oliver has a new show coming to BBC America: Chef Race: UK vs. U.S., in which eight British chefs and eight American chefs race from Los Angeles to New York City, competing in cooking competitions. You may remember the casting call for extremely extreme chefs back in January? The brave souls who ended up on the show are making their way across the country right now, and one of them is going to win $100,000.

London restaurateur Richard Corrigan will mentor the chefs, and the Food Network's Claire Robinson will host. Oliver's company, Fresh One Productions, is producing the show and Oliver himself is executive producing. No word on whether he'll make an appearance. Chef Race: UK vs. U.S. premieres this Fall on BBC America. Here's a press release:

JAMIE OLIVER TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE BBC AMERICA’S NEW COOKING EXPEDITION SERIES CHEF RACE: UK vs U.S.

New York – June 13, 2012 - BBC AMERICA’s General Manager, Perry Simon, has greenlit a new cooking expedition series, Chef Race: UK vs U.S., which will premiere in Fall 2012. Executive produced by Jamie Oliver, the new original unscripted series (10 x 60) follows sixteen chefs, eight Brits versus eight Americans, as they race across the United States from Los Angeles to New York City in hopes of winning the $100,000 prize.

Throughout the journey the chefs are accompanied by Michelin-starred London Restaurateur Richard Corrigan (Masterchef), who serves as a mentor and judge, and host Claire Robinson (5 Ingredient Fix). With no money and minimal resources, the chefs must rely on more than their cooking skills. Resourcefulness, ingenuity, leadership and finesse will be just as important on their 3,000 mile adventure.

Jamie Oliver, Executive Producer, Fresh One says: “The restaurant business is one of the toughest in the world and to be successful in it these days takes so much more than just being able to cook. You've got to have a good business sense, vision, leadership and so much more. This series is the first time that anyone has really dug deep into what it takes to be successful and it's going to take an incredible individual to win it.”

Perry Simon, General Manager, Channels, BBC Worldwide America adds: “Chef Race: UK vs U.S. celebrates great chefs from both sides of the pond, bringing their best cooking and entrepreneurial skills to bear in a creative format that showcases the diversity of America. The show is a great fit with our BBC America brand and our slate of new original series.”

Chef Race: UK vs U.S.is a BBC AMERICA original series and will be produced by Jamie Oliver’s Fresh One Productions, with Jamie Oliver (Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution), Amy Chacon (The Amazing Race), Stef Wagstaffe (Undercover Boss), Roy Ackerman (Reagan, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution), Sebastian Grant (Lilly Allen and Friends) and Jo Ralling (Jamie’s American Road Trip) serving as executive producers.

Chef Race: UK vs U.S. is the latest commission to join BBC AMERICA’s stable of all-new original programming, along with scripted drama Copper debuting on Sunday, August 19.

· Jamie Oliver's Chefs Race: UK vs U.S. Coming to BBC America [Press Release]
· All Jamie Oliver Coverage on Eater [-E-]
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[Photo: JamieOliver.com]