Ever since The Great British Bake Off was poached by Channel 4, fans have wondered whether the BBC might try to create a rival show.
Last autumn, the corporation announced that it had commissioned a new food-based competition called The Big Family Cooking Showdown. Now the show's presenting and judging line-up has been announced, and it looks very promising indeed.
The Great British Bake Off 's 2015 champion Nadiya Hussain will co-host alongside Zoë Ball. Veteran TV chef Rosemary Shrager and Giorgio Locatelli, owner of Michelin-starred London restaurant Locanda Locatelli, will serve as judges.
Like The Great British Bake Off, the BBC's new cookery competition will unfold over 12 episodes. When The Big Family Cooking Showdown begins this autumn, it will air on BBC Two, which is where Bake Off started before it was moved up to flagship channel BBC One.
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According to The Guardian, the show will see 16 families going head-to-head with their best family recipes as they welcome the judges and hosts into their homes for a feast.
"Family and food have always gone hand in hand and I’m looking forward to getting to know the recipes and traditions of the different families taking part," Hussain said of the new show. "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 Zoë, as the pressure really builds."
The first Channel 4 series of The Great British Bake Off is also expected to air in the autumn. Though we still don't know who will be joining Paul Hollywood, rumours suggest another veteran TV chef, Prue Leith, is being lined up for a Mary Berry-style role .
It was also rumoured last year that Richard Ayoade was a frontrunner to host the show. However, Channel 4 has since announced that he is in fact presenting its rebooted version of The Crystal Maze.
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