Masterchef UK to Air in Australia

SYDNEY: BBC Worldwide Australia has signed up XYZnetworks to air the original British Masterchef and its spinoff franchises on the LifeStyle FOOD channel.

The LifeStyle FOOD channel is to broadcast the seventh season of Masterchef, as well as the first season of Junior Masterchef, the fifth installment of Celebrity Masterchef and the third season of Masterchef: The Professionals. Junior Masterchef features children ages 9 to 12 in cooking competitions, while Celebrity Masterchef features athletes, actors, TV presenters and other well-known figures competing in the kitchen. Masterchef: The Professionals features a roster of established chefs looking to take the top title.

“This deal is a testament to our very fruitful and long-standing relationship with XYZnetworks,” said Annette Kollek, BBC Worldwide’s sales manager for subscription television. “We are pleased to present the latest U.K. formats of Australia’s most successful cooking franchise on the home of food programming in this territory.”

“LifeStyle FOOD is the home of Masterchef UK in Australia. We’re really excited to be premiering the new franchises in 2011,” added Hannah Barnes, the director of programming and acquisitions at XYZnetworks. “BBC Worldwide is one of our most important suppliers and we’re delighted to continue to work with them in this way.”