Michael Joins the Cast of Cooking with the Stars

Michael will be joining a host of celebrities in the latest series of Cooking with the Stars which starts on Tuesday 4^th July on ITV1 and ITVX. Emma Willis and Tom Allen return as hosts presiding over all the action as eight celebrities are paired with professional chefs who will mentor them, in a bid to transform them from amateur to expert in a matter of weeks. Produced by South Shore and co-funded by Marks & Spencer, this six-part cooking competition will transmit this summer on ITV1 and ITVX. The eight celebrities taking part in the new series are BAFTA award-winning actor Jason Watkins, boxing legend Chris Eubank, actress Joanna Page, Coronation Street’s Samia Longchambon, singer and television personality Peter Andre, Busted’s Matt Willis, Steps’ Claire Richards and Love Island star Indiyah Polack. Throughout the series the celebrities will be guided by their Chef Mentor as they attempt to create the winning dish in a series of intense Cooking Battles. The loser of each Battle will then have to fight for their place in the competition in the Cook Off – as they're tasked with creating a dish they’ve never seen before. Judged blind by all the chefs there is the possibility that the losing celebrity could be sent home by their own Chef Mentor. But who can handle the heat and go all the way to the end to become the culinary champion of this exciting cooking competition? The professional chefs taking part in the challenge this year are British chef and TV presenter Rosemary Shrager (partnered with Peter Andre), chef director Jack Stein (partnered with Chris Eubank), Michelin Starred French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli (partnered with Samia Longchambon), Scottish chef and restaurateur Tony Singh MBE (partnered with Claire Richards), Michelin Starred executive chef Michael Caines MBE (partnered with Joanna Page), restauranter and cookery author Shelina Permalloo (partnered with Matt Willis), chef & restauranteur April Jackson (partnered with Jason Watkins) and award-winning chef Ellis Barrie (partnered with Indiyah Polack). Cooking With The Stars is a partnership between Marks & Spencer, ITV and South Shore. It was recommissioned for ITV by Katie Rawcliffe, Head of Entertainment Commissioning, ITV and Paula Thomas Gallie, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment, ITV. Executive Producers for South Shore are Melanie Leach, Caroline Davies and Rosie Franks. ITV Studios handles global distribution for Cooking With The Stars. Cooking With The Stars is a partnership between Marks & Spencer, ITV and South Shore. It was recommissioned for ITV by Katie Rawcliffe, Head of Entertainment Commissioning, ITV and Paula Thomas Gallie, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment, ITV. Executive Producers for South Shore are Melanie Leach, Caroline Davies and Rosie Franks. ITV Studios handles global distribution for Cooking With The Stars.