MasterChef Singapore To Air On Mediacorp Channel 5

MasterChef Singapore will be filmed in English and will debut on Channel 5 later this year.

The Singapore version of the hit reality cooking show will no longer be aired on Channel 8, as previously announced.

In a press statement released today, it was explained that as English rights were originally not available, the show was set to air on Channel 8. However, following further negotiations, MasterChef Singapore will now air on Channel 5 in English and reach a more diverse audience in the city state.

Parminder Singh, Chief Commercial and Digital Officer of Mediacorp, said: “People love watching our food shows — a whole variety of them with unique flavours and cooking inspirations — on our different channels. MasterChef has clearly struck a chord with many and we are delighted to be able to premiere it on 5, the channel that brings people in Singapore together, as well as Toggle, our digital entertainment service.”

Well, now that the show has confirmed it will land on Channel 5, we hope the only drama surrounding it will be centred around the pressure cooker-style studio kitchen.

However, all wannabe Master Chefs must act fast. The closing date for applications is on April 6, 2018, at midnight — extended from the previous casting call deadline of March 25. Casting began back in February.

We understand this is because filming is expected to commence end April (the show will be produced by Beach House Pictures). The lineup of judges has not yet been confirmed and will only be announced at a later date.

MasterChef was born in Britain in 1990, where amateur cooks compete for the title in a high-pressure setting. Its most famous celebrity chef judge to date is the acerbic Gordon Ramsay. There have since been many spin-offs of the show, including MasterChef Junior and MasterChef Asia, the latter filmed in English in 2015 and whose winner was Singaporean Woo Wai Leong, 29.

Apparently, MasterChef is the most successful cookery television format in the world. It has been adapted locally in 54 countries, with over 10 local versions of the show in the Asia Pacific region.

So, do you have what it takes to be our island’s Master Chef?