The state broadcaster Televisión Española has decided to cancel the celebrity cooking show ‘Bake off: famosos al horno’. Launched in early 2024 with high hopes, the project failed to meet management’s expectations. Despite featuring well-known media personalities such as Rocío Carrasco, Alba Carrillo, and Víctor Sandoval, the program never came close to the impressive ratings of its main rival in the broadcast schedule, ‘MasterChef Celebrity’. Host Paula Vázquez and the star-studded cast were unable to attract a large enough audience, leading to the decision not to produce another season. The experiment with the popular international franchise—previously aired by Cuatro and Prime Video—ended in disappointment for the public broadcaster this time around.
However, RTVE does not appear ready to give up on the idea of dessert competitions in prime time. Instead of simply shelving the format, the corporation made an unexpected move that surprised many media market observers. Channel management tasked the same production company, BoxFish, with developing a new project. They have chosen to adapt the world-famous ‘Top Chef’ format, but this time with a pastry twist. This decision is particularly intriguing given that the classic version of ‘Top Chef’ was successfully broadcast for four seasons on rival channel Antena 3, where Alberto Chicote was one of the judges.
The new project will be called “Top Chef: Dulces y Famosos” and promises to be a real revolution for Spanish television. This won’t be the familiar Atresmedia format with professional chefs competing. Instead, La 1 is betting on a spin-off known internationally as “Top Chef VIP Just Desserts,” focusing exclusively on desserts, with celebrities taking the cooking stations. The public broadcaster aims to combine two successful ingredients: the star-studded lineup of “MasterChef Celebrity” and the intense competition dynamic of “Top Chef,” but narrowing the spotlight to the exciting niche of pastry arts.
At the moment, neither the list of participants nor the exact broadcast dates have been announced. However, experts suggest the premiere is likely in early 2026, as the show is expected to occupy the same programming slot as its predecessor. This focus on desserts and celebrities is part of a broader TVE strategy to fill its schedule with star-studded entertainment formats. In the near future, viewers will also see the adventure reality show “Hasta el fin del mundo,” reminiscent of “Pekín Express,” and a new season of the popular sewing competition “Maestros de la costura celebrity.” The main question remains: will the second attempt to establish a pastry-themed show on the country’s main channel finally win viewers’ hearts?
