TV Cooking Shows Get Spicy as Food Influencers Take Center Stage: ‘It’s All About the Hook’

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 OCTOBER 2026 —

Malaysia’s Food TV Boom Faces Global Slowdown as Streaming Wars Reshape Cooking Shows

Gordon Ramsay’s cooking empire—spanning 25 seasons of Hell’s Kitchen, 16 of MasterChef and 10 of Kitchen Nightmares—is showing signs of fatigue as global demand for traditional food television plummets, with commissioning volumes for reality cookery shows dropping 16% between 2024 and 2025, according to industry analysts.

The shift, driven by rising competition from social media influencers and streaming platforms, is forcing producers to reinvent formats with hybrid storytelling, live performances, and even dating-show elements to retain audiences.

The decline in food TV commissions—from 663 titles in 2024 to just 555 in 2025, and further to 245 in the first half of 2026—reflects a broader industry reckoning. While Ramsay’s live, high-stakes approach remains a blueprint for success, executives at ITV Studios and Banijay Entertainment warn that cookery shows must now blend drama, competition, and personal narratives to survive.

The challenge is acute in Malaysia, where local broadcasters like Astro and TV3 have long relied on imported formats, but now face pressure to adapt or risk losing viewership to digital-first content.

Ramsay, speaking from a Next Level Baker holiday special shoot in Ireland, dismissed recent hybrid formats like ITV’s The Heat—a mix of cooking competition and dating drama—as "a bit of a hotch-potch" lacking narrative cohesion. The show, which aired in Barcelona with chefs competing by day and socializing by night, was canceled after one season despite its "aspirational" appeal, according to Tom Clark, ITV Studios’ executive VP for global sales.

"It’s Big Brother meets Top Chef," Ramsay said. "I was cringing. It had no narrative."

Yet the industry’s pivot toward storytelling is clear. Banijay’s MasterChef—the world’s most adapted format, airing in 41 territories—thrives on its "light-touch reality storyline," where contestants’ personal journeys drive weekly engagement, said Lucas Green, the company’s chief content officer. "People love watching recipes on Instagram and TikTok, but that’s replaced instructional cooking shows," he noted. "What works now is the transformation—winners getting Michelin stars, the drama of rivalry, the binge-worthy arcs."

ITV Studios’ Mike Beale echoed this, citing streaming’s role in demanding "hook-driven" content. "Just seeing five people cook with one winner at the end won’t cut it anymore," he said. "You need to take the viewer on a journey." The network’s Hell’s Kitchen—live-streamed in 26 territories—mirrors Ramsay’s theater-like approach, where each episode is a "performance," he explained. "There’s magic in the unknown, like the first ticket arriving in a restaurant."

Malaysia’s food TV landscape, dominated by Astro’s MasterChef Malaysia and Rasa Malaysia, could face similar pressures. Local producers may need to incorporate stronger narrative elements—such as personal struggles, mentorship arcs, or even reality-TV twists—to compete with short-form digital content. Olivier Levet of TV consultancy The Wit pointed to YouTube’s success with experimental formats, like I Tried Every Famous Cartoon Food or El mundial de los desayunos, which blend humor, competition, and global appeal.

Streaming platforms are also reshaping the market. Netflix’s Dinner Time Live With David Chang and The Final Table, along with Amazon’s The World Cook, prove that cookery shows can thrive when paired with interactive or global tournament elements. Banijay’s MasterChef Creators in Brazil—featuring digital influencers—has drawn younger viewers, showing how legacy formats can evolve. "Online and linear can feed off each other," Green said.

Ramsay, however, remains focused on authenticity. His secret to longevity? Treating every season like a debut. "I don’t self-obsess about how good we are," he said. "I take criticism, keep it fresh, and remember: there’s no fame in running a restaurant. It’s brutal work."

The industry’s future hinges on balancing tradition with innovation. For Malaysia’s broadcasters, the lesson is clear: without narrative depth or digital integration, even iconic formats risk becoming yesterday’s recipe.