MasterChef launches Asia edition

A+E Networks Asia has approved a pan-regional Asian version of the well-known series MasterChef Asia. The show will debut on the Lifetime channel which is a premier female-focused entertainment network, later this year. MasterChef Asia is presented by the Singapore Tourism Board and Knorr, in association with Panasonic and Changi Airport Group.Lynette Pang, assistant chief executive, Singapore Tourism Board said in a statement that the series will help highlight a new generation of future Asian and Singaporean MasterChefs while "showcasing Singapore’s best culinary delights."Content producing company Endemol Southeast Asia has been commissioned to produce the 15-episode series, which will be filmed in Singapore. MasterChef Asia will feature three judges, to be named at a future date, alongside contestants selected from across Asia. Also, to drum up anticipation for the show, aspiring cooks who wish to be a part of the first ever MasterChef Asia team can also submit their audition videos on masterchefasia.com from now until 5 March 2015.Charles Less, head of advertising sales, Asia-Pacific, A+E Networks said the MasterChef Asia series is the channel's most significant local commission to date and "is a sign of its commitment to the Asian production community.”