One of the most anticipated franchises of the reality cooking show "MasterChef Asia" starts tonight on Lifetime Channel and NOW TV, but Hong Kong might not watch the show.
A report on the South China Morning Post said Hong Kong seems not satisfied of the line-up of "MasterChef Asia" contestants as they are not "well-represented" on the new show.
"It's a real shame that there aren't any Hong Kong contestants, but we opened up a casting call for applicants, but the ones from Hong Kong, their cooking didn't stand up," senior vice president for "MasterChef Asia" home network A+E Networks Asia Michele Schofield said.
"MasterChef Asia" has a line-up of contestants from various Asian countries such as Singapore, China, India and Vietnam but not from Hong Kong.
South China Morning Post also noted that Hong Kong has a rich food culture, but said that the application process to become one of "MasterChef Asia" contestants might have contributed to this "lack of contestants from Hong Kong."
"In addition to the [extensive] written application, people had to submit a video, showing themselves making a signature dish," the report said. "In this way Schofield and her colleagues could quickly gauge their English language ability and get a sense of their cooking style."
Schofield further mentioned that many of the aspiring home cooks came from Southeast Asian nations such as Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia because the news of the application went viral on social media, which was picked up by these countries.
"There are no Thai contestants either, mostly because of their English language ability," she added, but saying that Hong Kong viewers must still watch the show.
Various contestants are appearing on "MasterChef Asia." There are contestants who are lawyers, financial experts, an engineer, full-time moms and more.
In a previous report by Franchise Herald, the show aims to highlight the best of Asian cuisine.
But with the current line-up and issues revealed by the South China Morning Post report, can the show live up to its goals?
"MasterChef Asia" begins September 3 with a total of 15 contestants vying for the title.
