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³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide Channels is delighted to announce the commission of ITV Studios' format Come Dine With Me South Africa. The agreement with ITV Studios Global Entertainment, the international distribution arm of ITV Studios, is the first local production commissioned by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide channels for the region.

Come Dine With Me South Africa will be produced locally by Rapid Blue and pre production on the series will begin this month. The show will debut this October on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Entertainment (channel 120), available on the DStv platform. The series will also air on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide Channels networks across the Middle East, Scandinavia and Poland.

The deal was brokered by Andre Renaud, Senior Sales Executive, Italy, Benelux and Africa for ITV Studios Global Entertainment and Melanie Owen for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide Channels.

Shooting for the 10-part series will take place in three different locations in South Africa: Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

Come Dine With Me follows five total strangers competing for the title of the ultimate dinner party host. Each night for a week they will take it in turn to cook up their idea of the perfect evening. As well as cooking, the rival hosts snoop around each others’ houses and go to bizarre lengths to win the competition. At the end of the evening, the host is judged by their guests and scored out of ten. The contestant with the most points at the end of the week wins a cash prize. Come Dine With Me is a consistent ratings hit with audiences in the UK and the format has proved to be equally popular with international broadcasters. To date the format has been sold into over 30 territories across the world, including Iran, Australia and France.

Ian McDonough, SVP and General Manager EMEA, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide Channels said: "I am delighted to be bringing our first ever locally made EMEA commission to South Africa. Food programming has proven to be immensely popular on our channels and Come Dine With Me unites an exciting cross section of contestants from all social and cultural backgrounds- not to mention ages and genders, through their love of food and entertaining. Creating a local version of this hugely successful British format signals our ongoing commitment to the region and to our audiences."

Jon Farrar, VP Programming EMEA, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide Channels added: "This commission represents continued significant investment in our African channels, as we strive to build rich and captivating schedules that will delight audiences across the continent. Come Dine With Me in the UK is one of the breakout hits of recent years which has resonated brilliantly with our international audiences. With its compelling mix of food, conflict, and competitive hosts making for unforgettable, and often jaw-dropping, dinner parties, I am thrilled to be seeing a local version arrive exclusively to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Entertainment in South Africa."

Tobias de Graaff, Director Global Television Distribution, ITV Studios Global Entertainment said: "Come Dine With Me is a huge hit for broadcasters around the world and, as this agreement illustrates, we are continuing to close deals in new territories. We're delighted to be using the breadth of our production expertise, built from over six years of international production, to work with ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide to launch this format in South Africa."

Come Dine With Me South Africa is proudly sponsored by Pick n Pay.

The series will have associate sponsorship from Knorr.

Applications to appear as a contestant on the show will open today and close on 13 July. Please log onto for more details.

Come Dine With Me South Africa is just one of a number of recent ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide Channels commissions. Last month, the business announced a slate of documentaries and drama commissions for its international channels.

Lucy Groom