Media personality Bonang Matheba is a busy girl, and it seems her plate is getting even fuller.
Apart from her hosting and MC duties, gracing the covers of magazines and jetting off to exotic destinations around the world, she has now added hosting a reality cooking show to her plate.
Matheba, affectionately known as Queen B, is set to present KFC Taste Kitchen, which is expected to air on DStv’s Mzansi Magic next week.
“Bonang Matheba will add her spice and touch as the host of the KFC Taste Kitchen,” KFC Africa chief marketing officer Mike Middleton said.
The fast food outlet’s first ever reality cooking show seeks to discover the next best chef extraordinaire.
“This is a first for us, and we can’t wait to bring this brand-new, Finger Lickin’ Good experience to our customers and fans,” he said.
Following a countrywide search, 32 pairs have been selected to battle it out for the coveted title of KFC’s Ultimate Cooking Duo, as well as the grand prize of R1 million.
Middleton said the contestants who want to be crowned the ultimate winner should master proudly South African cuisines to pair up with KFC’s famous chicken.
“KFC Taste Kitchen takes cooks on a journey of innovation and explosive taste as they create the most innovative, authentic South African side dishes they can, to complement KFC’s delicious original recipe chicken.”
Matheba will be joined by actress-turned-cooking expert Lucia Mthiyane as well as KwaZulu-Natal foodie Lentswe Bhengu, who will be judges on the show.
“We’re beyond excited to have such great South African talent join us on the KFC Taste Kitchen journey,” said Middleton. “Each brings a taste of authenticity and relevance to the show.”
But there’s a twist to the local reality cooking show.
Bonang Matheba. Picture: Instagram
“To add more flavour to the delicious, sizzling challenges, the judges will participate in unique blind tasting sessions, which will make the experience even more thrilling for contestants and viewers,” he said.
“During the show, the duos will receive challenges from the celebrity judges, before putting their cooking skills and creative flair to the test in a culinary race against the clock,” added Middleton.
Each duo’s creation will then be tasted and judged, and one pair will be eliminated after each challenge.
This will take place over a period of 13 weeks, when the pairs will be whittled down as the battle comes to the boil, until one lucky duo emerge with the R1m grand prize as creator of KFC South Africa’s best side dish, and are crowned Ultimate Cooking Duo.
“There is a smorgasbord of further surprises in the show, including rewards and immunity challenges for the duos, but you’ll have to tune in to find out more, when the action starts simmering in KFC Taste Kitchen,” insisted Middleton.
Catch KFC Taste Kitchen on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) on July 14 at 7pm.
* For more information, go to http://mzansimagic.dstv.com/show/kfc-taste-kitchen