GECs
CBS to find the next designing Diva
MUMBAI: CBS has announced that television journalist Joan Lunden will host its upcoming reality series Finding The Next Designing Diva.
The series will pit 12 people with a creative knack for the finer things in life in a no-holds-barred competition to crown the country’s new authority on at-home living. The contestants will compete in different areas of beautifying the home and entertaining, including gardening, cooking, baking, sewing, crafts, floral arranging and decorating.
In addition to chronicling relationships that develop amongst the participants, each week a contestant will be eliminated from the series when they are judged on their flair for elegant living, party planning and expertise in homemaking.
Lunden added, “I have worked side by side with some of the best chefs and lifestyle experts for years on morning television. Now I can bring that experience, as well as my hosting skills, to a show that is certain to take ‘domestic arts’ to a new level of excitement,”
Lunden co-hosted Good Morning America from 1980 till 1997. During her tenure, she reported from 26 countries, covered four presidents, five Olympics and two royal weddings. Lunden also hosts and executive produces Behind Closed Doors with Joan Lunden.
In the show Lunden has been allowed access to the inner workings of places few have ever seen, including flying at 65,000 feet in a U2 Reconnaissance aircraft, survival training with Army’s Special Forces, the Culinary Institute of America.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
