Samantha’s Celebrity MasterChef Tamil unveils its star-studded judging panel
Celebrity MasterChef Tamil has announced its main judging panel, bringing together chefs and culinary personalities with experience spanning India, Australia and the hospitality industry.
Chef and restaurateur Venkatesh Bhat, MasterChef Australia Season 10 winner Sashi Cheliah and culinary expert Shreeya Adka will serve as judges on the Tamil edition.
Actor Samantha has also joined the programme as a celebrity judge, with Vijay Sethupathi serving as host.
The show will feature familiar faces from the Tamil entertainment industry as they swap film and television sets for kitchens and compete in a series of culinary challenges.
The judges are expected to assess the contestants through demanding cooking tasks involving technique, creativity and regional flavours.
Venkatesh Bhat said being part of the programme was an opportunity to celebrate Tamil cuisine and introduce its diversity and heritage to a wider audience.
Sashi Cheliah spoke about his own unconventional journey from the Singapore Police Force to winning MasterChef Australia. He said his upbringing around Indian and Southeast Asian flavours influenced his culinary identity and that he was looking forward to experiencing the competition from the judges’ side.
Shreeya Adka also described food as a way of bringing people together and said the programme would combine cooking with Tamil traditions, flavours and stories. Produced by Banijay Asia, Celebrity MasterChef Tamil is scheduled to stream on Sony LIV and Sony VIZHA.