‘Junior MasterChef Australia’ premieres exclusively on Fox Starting 3 May

Catch the inaugural season of ‘Junior MasterChef Australia’ every Thursday at 9pm KSA/10pm UAE from 3 May onwards to watch talented young chefs aged 8-12 battle it out for culinary honors and a wide range of prizes including a generous trust fund of $15,000 Australian Dollars

Dubai, UAE, 3 May 2012 –Premiering on Fox starting 3 May, ‘Junior MasterChef Australia’ features spirited contestants aged 8-12 from Down Under pit their culinary skills against each other in a mouthwatering cooking competition. A spin-off of the hugely popular franchise ‘MasterChef Australia’, the show, brought for the first time to Middle Eastern audiences exclusively through Fox, is available in dual audio, English and Arabic.

The series’ 50 young and eager gastronomy enthusiasts were selected from a staggering 5,500 auditions and divided into five groups of ten, each of which partook in a 45 minute cooking challenge where four of the best contestants from each group secured a spot in the Top 20. Two enthralling contests follow to narrow the list down to the Top 12. From then onwards, the competitors are steadily whittled down until one is crowned Australia’s first Junior MasterChef and walks away with an incredible $15,000 Australian Dollars trust fund. In spite of the final giveaway, no participating child walks away empty-handed: a prize is offered at every stage of elimination and the second runner-up and third place finisher are granted $10,000 Australian Dollars and $5000 Australian Dollars, respectively.

Culinary connoisseurs and dedicated ‘MasterChef Australia’ fans who relish high-pressure kitchen environments are sure to take delight in watching the gifted yet untried and untrained youth demonstrate their extraordinary skills under the watchful eyes of ‘Junior Masterchef Australia’ judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and new addition Anna Gare. The strong-willed children vie for the top-spot with immense passion and determination, inspiring viewers, fellow amateur cooks and professional chefs along the way. The judges are left increasingly impressed – sometimes in utter shock – after each cooking challenge as the contestants demonstrate skills way beyond their years, giving chefs twice or three times their age a run for their money!

“‘Junior MasterChef Australia’ is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as you cheer for your favorite young contestant,” said Athreyan Sundararajan, Head of Marketing, Fox International Channels Middle East. “This is exactly the sort of exciting, world-class entertainment that viewers have come to expect from Fox and we are thrilled to bring this exhilarating new show to Middle Eastern television.”

Junior MasterChef Australia airs every Thursday at 9pm KSA/10pm UAE starting from 3 May.
In case you’ve missed the premiere, repeat shows will air on prime time as well as on the weekend every Friday at 1pm KSA/2pm UAE, and again at 8pm KSA/9pm UAE on the same day.

About FOX International Channels
FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international television business developing, producing and distributing branded entertainment, factual, sports and movie channels across Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia. With a stable of 20 channel brands, FIC broadcasts over 95 television services in 29 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 350 million subscribing households worldwide.

Fox International Channels (FIC), in partnership with Rotana Media Group, forayed into the Middle East free-to-air market with the launch of Fox Movies, followed by Fox, and the latest addition FX that is aimed at male viewers. Since launch, FIC has been redefining home entertainment in the Middle East and North Africa region.

About Rotana Media Services (RMS)
Rotana Media Services (RMS) established in 2004, is one of the largest media group in the entire region, the Rotana Media Services (RMS) unit is solely in charge of selling and promoting all Rotana’s TV stations, Magazine, Radio, New Media (MobiAd, Web Ads), Outlets, Cafés, Movie and Music Video Placements.

RMS builds strategic relationships with local, regional and international clients in all markets, acting as the commercial arm when it comes to revenue generation with sponsors and advertisers. RMS enjoys the privilege of offering its clients a 360 degree integrated media solutions, through the many media vehicles it represents.

With regional offices spread between Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Lebanon and Cairo, RMS also established a partnership network with representatives in France for Europe, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, to ensure comprehensive coverage.