The new series of celebrity cooking competition Cooking With the Stars made its return to ITV on Tuesday night (July 30).
The episode introduced an array of famous faces set to stir the pot this time around. However, the show quickly fell flat with viewers, sparking a wave of backlash within minutes of it starting.
Cooking With the Stars faces fierce backlash
The new line-up boasted names such as model Abbey Clancy, Countdown’s Carol Vorderman and comedian Katherine Ryan. Meanwhile, Emma Willis and Tom Allen returned to host for the fourth year in a row.
The show promised viewers an entertaining blend of celebrity appearances and culinary challenges.
However, viewers were quick to voice their discontent. Some even claimed they were forced to switch off the TV minutes into the first episode.
In this season opener, the celebrities were seen pairing up with professional chefs in hopes of nabbing the crown. But the reaction on social media was harsh – with comments ranging from dismissive to scathing.
One user complained about the assembly of “Z-list ‘celebrities”, while another couldn’t stand the constant “whooping and cheering”.
“Never watched this before #CookingWithTheStars. Won’t be watching it again! Who dreams up these beyond boring programs with Z-list ‘celebrities’ !! So so bad,” one viewer fumed.
Another tweeted: “Five minutes was enough. It’s terrible #CookingWithTheStars.”
“How the heck did this rubbish manage to get another series?” a third unimpressed viewer commented.
‘Tie your hair back!’
One particular point of conversation that seemed to unite disgusted viewers was a glaring hygiene oversight.
Both Carol and Abbey were shown cooking without tying their hair back, an issue that did not go unnoticed by the audience. And fans flooded social media with complaints about this “disgusting” oversight.
“For Pete’s sake, tie your hair back #Cookingwiththestars,” one viewer complained.
“Does it bother anyone else that the celebs on #Cookingwiththestars don’t their hair back?? I just vision a pan full of stray hair #Cookingwiththestars #itv,” another mused.
A third viewer simply wrote: “It bothers me! Disgusting.” A fourth agreed: “It definitely bothers me.”
‘I’m hungry watching this’
Despite the barrage of criticism, not all feedback was negative.
Some viewers tweeted about their excitement for the show’s return.
“Loved the first #Cookingwiththestars well done @OfficialClancy,” one fan cheered.
“#CookingWithTheStars I’m hungry watching this. I’m off to M&S tomorrow. Looks lovely,” another wrote.
“They get some really good stars on this! #CookingWithTheStars,” said a third who was a fan of the line-up.
Read more: Inside Cooking With the Stars host Emma Willis’ quirky home
Catch Cooking with the Stars on ITV on Tuesday August 6 at 8pm.
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