News Broadcasting
BBC’s new reality show focusses on aspiring restaurateurs
MUMBAI: British chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc will put nine couples through their paces to see if they have what it takes to run their own restaurant in a new television event for 2007 for UK pubcaster BBC Two.
Incredibly, more than 1,000 new restaurants open every year in Britain; unfortunately, 900 close within a year. The Restaurant features nine couples whose dream is to run their own eatery. They have to create their perfect restaurant and then open the doors to the paying public.
Every decision, every mistake they make, every argument they have, will be caught on camera. They are working and living together 24-hours a day, under huge pressure. Each week, one of the restaurants is eliminated from the competition by Blanc, acting as judge.
At the end of the run, the winners get to run their own restaurant, financially backed and personally supported by Raymond with a six-figure sum of his own money.
The show is a brutal insight into the business of running a restaurant and the incredible pressure of living and working with your partner.
It’s a lesson on how to and how not to cook, a lesson on how we like to be served, what we like to eat and what we like to send back to the kitchen.
It’s a story with a great climax at the end of each show and a winning couple who will have been proven to have what it takes in the restaurant trade, the toughest of all business challenges.
Raymond Blanc said: “To set up a business – especially a restaurant business – and make a success of it is one of the hardest things in the world.
“It is a constant balancing act – of passion with acumen, ego with humility, knowledge with a hunger to take risks.
“Of course, I am very proud to be a leader within the restaurant industry. I owe a great deal of my success to my excellent team and maybe my greatest success is to have credited their intelligence rather than restricted it.
“I look forward to sharing my experience and expertise with like-minded people who are eager to enter this crazy but irresistible world and achieve the dream for themselves.”
Raymond Blanc, widely acknowledged as one of the world’s finest chefs, has held two Michelin stars for the last 22 years for his esteemed centre of excellence, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxford. Raymond has also run a scholarship programme for ten years.
He has been at the very top of the restaurant game for more than three decades and has trained some of the UK’s most brilliant chefs, including Marco Pierre White, Michael Caines and Eric Chavot.
BBC Two controller Roly Keating said, “BBC Two viewers are fascinated by food and business – this show audaciously brings them together for a television event. As well as providing an insight into the food that is served on our plates, it will reveal the harsh realities of the restaurant business. We’re delighted that Britain’s most legendary chef has joined forces with BBC Two to create this project.”
The BBC adds that many people dream about running their own restaurant, but what many don’t know is how high the casualty rate is. It’s a dangerous business to be in. For those who get it right, it’s hugely lucrative, challenging and rewarding, but get it wrong and they could lose everything. This show will capture all the drama, the pain and pleasure of setting up and either keeping, or losing, a restaurant says the pubcaster.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
