English Entertainment
Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons invite India to watch Top Chef Season 11
MUMBAI: Master of all cooking reality shows, Top Chef is back with its 11th Season. The exciting culinary trail kick started this week, 22 February 2016 at 9 pm Monday to Friday on AXN. Adding some spice to the buzzing new season isthe sizzling host Padma Lakshmi and renowned food writer and judge Gail Simmons who have been specially tweeting and connecting with fans of the show in India. Both Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons enjoy immense popularity in India because of their long standing association with the show and the duohave exclusively invited their fans in India to catch the telecast on AXN.
This season, Top Chef is bringing to its audience a mix of traditional and exotic culinary offerings with a dash of eccentricity. Imagine the popular Quickfire challenge where a famed musician comes out with his version of foodie musical chairs. Tune in to find out if the Chef’testants hit the right note or not. In another episode see the Chef’testants whip out their home-inspired recipes paying tribute to the best cook in the world, their mommy.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
