TV preview: Turning up the heat for The Big Family Cooking Showdown on BBC Two

Presented by Zoe Ball and Nadiya Hussain, the series will delve into kitchens up and down the country, showcasing family food that creates the heart within the home and brings generations together.
Giorgio Locatelli, Nadiya, Zoe Ball and Rosemary Schrager.Giorgio Locatelli, Nadiya, Zoe Ball and Rosemary Schrager.
Giorgio Locatelli, Nadiya, Zoe Ball and Rosemary Schrager.

In search of Britain’s best family of cooks, judging their efforts are renowned cookery teacher Rosemary Shrager and top Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli.

The two judges will set challenges in both the studio kitchen and home kitchens, whittling down the 16 teams of cooks over eight heats, three semi-finals and one grand final.

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In each episode, two families represented by three family members will go head to head, tested by these three challenging rounds:

The £10 Challenge

Showcasing the very best the teams can do to feed four with a budget of £10, in 1hr 15 minutes.

Home Visits Challenge

Both families must cook a main course and a dessert for Rosemary and Giorgio in their own homes in 90 minutes.

Impress The Neighbours Challenge

Both families return to the studio for the deciding round, creating a starter and a main course in 2hrs 15 minutes.

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Zoe Ball says: “It’s time to celebrate passionate foodie families all over the country and this series will show us home cooking at its best, even if it’s using old pans and mismatched crockery! We’re meeting 16 very different families over the course of the show and witnessing their team dynamics.”

Zoe is one of TV and radio’s best known presenters, currently presenting on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Two’s Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.

Zoe wouldn’t describe herself as the world’s best cook but has enjoyed learning some handy new kitchen tips from the families and from Nadiya throughout the show.

Fellow presenter Nadiya Hussain says: ““Having been through a food competition as an amateur cook myself, I know exactly how tough it can get and so I’ll be there for them, alongside Zoe, as the pressure really builds.”

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Nadiya, who was crowned winner of the 2015 series of The Great British Bake Off, has worked on a number of BBC projects recently, having made films for The One Show and presented

The Chronicles Of Nadiya in 2016, and also fronting her own cookery series Nadiya’s British Food Adventure on BBC Two this summer.

Nadiya loves cooking for her three children and is known for being very creative in the kitchen. As a presenter, she’s especially interested in meeting the competing families with different recipes and traditions and is always on the look-out for new food inspiration.

Your Judges are Rosemary Schrager, an accomplished chef with a career including restaurant kitchens, cookery schools and TV appearances. She has recently appeared on BBC series

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The Real Marigold Hotel and The Real Marigold on Tour. Rosemary is an experienced judge having featured on The Chopping Block and Rosemary’s School for Cooks - and has also been a haute cuisine teacher on reality television programme Ladette to Lady.

Michelin star chef GiorgioLocatelli has had a number of series on TV including Tony and Giorgio, Sicily Unpacked and Italy Unpacked on BBC Two.