THE NEXT IRON CHEF: THE SUPERSTAR CHEFS COLLIDE

I am delighted to announce that I will be rejoining the team for Season Four of the hit Food Network Show, THE NEXT IRON CHEF.

If last season was great, Season Four promises to be outstanding. This time The Food Network have brought together some of the very biggest names in the United States to compete for that coveted title of Iron Chef.

There are some incredible names on the list

Anne Burrell – Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Worst Cooks in America (Food Network)

Michael Chiarello – Bottega Restaurant (Napa Valley), Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello (Cooking Channel)

Elizabeth Falkner – Citizen Cake, Orson (San Francisco), Iron Chef America – challenger (Food Network)

Alex Guarnaschelli – Butter, The Darby (New York), Alex’s Day Off, Chopped (Food Network)

Chuck Hughes – Garde Manger (Montreal), Chuck’s Day Off (Cooking Channel), Iron Chef America – challenger (Food Network)

Robert Irvine – Robert Irvine’s eat! (Hilton Head Island), Dinner: Impossible, Restaurant: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America (Food Network)

Beau MacMillan – Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain (Phoenix), Challenge, Iron Chef America – challenger (Food Network)

Spike Mendelsohn – Good Stuff Eatery (Washington D.C.), Kelsey & Spike Cook (Food2.com)

Marcus Samuelsson –Red Rooster Harlem (New York), 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped (Food Network)

Geoffrey Zakarian – The National, The Lambs Club (New York), 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped (Food Network)

I will be joining my chum, Iron Chef Michael Symon and new judge, UK Iron Chef Judy Joo at the judging table and, as ever, the mercurial Alton Brown will be keeping the chefs in check.

The series will air in Fall (Autumn to us Brits)2011 and I will confirm the exact dates as soon as I have them.

THE NEXT IRON CHEF: I GOT ME A JOB

A few days before Sybil and I got married, I received a call from my managing agent (yes, I have a managing agent, get over it) to say that I was being considered for a job. Both Sybil & I were very excited to hear the news. I was excited because, quite frankly I thought I was unemployable at this stage in my life and Sybil was excited because she thought I was exploring the "or for poorer" part of our vows a little too closely.

It turned out that I was up for one of the three postions as judge on the hit Food Network show, The Next Iron Chef. Over a number of weeks, ten of the USA's top knife wielders compete for a place amongst the ranks of seasoned Iron Chefs like Bobby Flay, Cat Cora and Morimoto San.

To do this, they must face down various challenges provided by The Chairman and commented on, in his own unique style, by Alton Brown.

I was fortunate enough to be offered the chance to opine for money and, on October 3rd of this year, the onscreen battles will commence. Be sure to tune in and see who makes it to the legendary Kitchen Stadium as myself, Iron Chef Michael Symon and restauranteur Donatella Arpaia pass judgement.

As The Chairman puts it

ALLEZ CUISINE!