Off the boil: the decline of the TV cooking show

Cooking shows have long been "the toast of television: mouth-wateringly wholesome fun, cheap to make and often a surefire ratings hit", said The Times.

But now they're facing the chop. A string of controversies has bubbled over just as people are flocking to simpler, social media cooking clips, but are these viral online videos a recipe for new problems?

'Good riddance'

The decline in interest is clear. Just 12 shows have been ordered over the first seven months of this year, down from 42 last year and a high of 100 in 2019, according to analysis by Broadcast Intelligence.

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A "string of high-profile controversies" means the shows are "starting to leave a bitter taste" with producers. Allegations of inappropriate behaviour involving Gino D’Acampo "spanning more than 12 years" became public in February and "MasterChef" has become "mired in controversy" as Gregg Wallace and John Torode faced allegations of misconduct and were subsequently sacked by the BBC. D'Acampo denies the allegations, Wallace and Torode have also disputed claims against them,.

"Good riddance," said The Telegraph. There has been an "inferno of scandal, disgrace and other malfeasance" and the shows are "simply out of time" in 2025 because there are "crazily detailed", "short and snappy" videos on social media.

But the genre may not be doomed. Some producers pointed out that the number of shows being commissioned by broadcasters is down "across the board", said The Times, and there are "plans to reinvigorate food programming" with "ambitious forthcoming" formats including a Michelin-star themed documentary for Apple TV+ and a "Harry Potter-inspired" format for Warner Bros Discovery.

'A mockery'

These days you can head to social media for "marry me chicken pasta" with a link to the "written–out recipe", with "hundreds of comments endorsing the recipe", said 34th Street. "A one–minute viral hack to create rice paper croissants is more likely to retain our attention than a one hour programme that delves into the history of French cuisine."

Cooking shows as we know them have been "eaten" by TikTok, a producer told The Times, but although these videos are "feasts for the eyes", said The Washington Post, "just don't eat the food".

Social media content is "making a mockery" of cookery, with "today's young learners" more likely to "put a Snickers bar inside a large pickle and call it dinner", said Delicious. This is "not conducive to a functioning society" and it'll "reach a point where millions of people forget how to actually cook".