Ramsay returns to ITV

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is set to return to UK commercial broadcaster ITV with a documentary series and a daytime cookery show, as well as a hosting role on late-night programme The Nightly Show.

Gordon Ramsay will guest-host ITV’s The Nightly Show

The new programmes mark the chef’s return to the network where he launched culinary series Hell’s Kitchen, which ran for eight seasons between 2004 and 2009.

His prodco Studio Ramsay, which launched with All3Media in April last year, will make a primetime “hard hitting” doc series, which begins filming this year. It was commissioned by ITV head of factual entertainment Sue Murphy.

Studio Ramsay will also produce daytime cookery show Culinary Genius (20×60’) to air later in 2017.

The large-scale competition will run for four weeks on ITV and each episode will see nine amateur cooks compete in challenges to win a cash prize. The show was commissioned by ITV’s head of daytime, Helen Warner. Both the documentary series and Culinary Genius will be distributed by All3Media International.

Meanwhile, Ramsay will first be back on ITV this year as guest host for one week of The Nightly Show, ITV’s new week-night entertainment series. It will be produced for ITV by Second Act Productions and the commissioner is ITV’s head of comedy entertainment Peter Davey.

ITV’s director of television Kevin Lygo said: “Gordon is not only a world-class chef but a world-class TV presenter. It’s a great thing to have him back where it all started, with some brand new shows. He’s an irrepressible talent and we are really looking forward to his return to ITV in 2017.”

Ramsay has been working with All3Media since 2010. That year, the firm bought UK unscripted prodco Optomen, which has a joint venture in place with Ramsay called One Potato Two Potato.

Ramsay is behind UK series Hell’s Kitchen, which launched on ITV in 2004 before being adapted in the US for Fox, with both fronted by the chef. He is also known for his Kitchen Nightmares series, which again had UK and US versions.