"'Next Level Chef' Sparks Creativity, a Key Element in Cooking"

"Twelve years ago, few television experts could have predicted the phenomenon and social impact that 'MasterChef' would have upon its debut on TVE. High-end cuisine made a grand entrance into prime time, proving that it indeed captivated audiences. However, culinary experimentation has continued to grow, and the latest is 'Next Level Chef', a competition that takes a 180-degree turn with a format that impresses with its spectacle. Three groups of contestants, selected from gastronomic influencers, professional chefs, and amateur cooks, compete in an imposing building over 25 meters high, with three floors of varying difficulty levels while a platform traverses the structure with ingredients. At stake: 100,000 euros reserved for a single winner."

"With Blanca Romero as the master of ceremonies, the programme, airing its third episode today at 11:00 PM on Telecinco, features chefs Francis Paniego, Rakel Cernicharo, and Marcos Morán, who also act as judges and mentors to the contestants. 'When something like this comes along and you're of a certain age, with your businesses and everything, you obviously consider the level of exposure involved in being here, but in the end, you take the plunge. It's a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of personally and also to enhance your business,' explains chef Francis Paniego about his role in this format created by the legendary Gordon Ramsay, and produced in Spain by Shine Iberia, the company also behind 'MasterChef'."

"The three also appreciate the change and normalisation that seeing renowned chefs in prime time has brought to television. 'It would have been stranger before, but we are from the best era of global Spanish gastronomy,' recalls Asturian Marcos Morán. 'Cooking is embedded in our daily lives. All media dedicate a significant part to it, and it has become naturalised,' adds the chef, who, as a curiosity, reveals that his mother, Ángeles Quirós, and Paniego's mother appeared on the pioneering 'Con las manos en la masa', which TVE aired in the 1980s."

"Telecinco's new venture arrives with a group of participants, the gastronomic influencers, who have experienced the kitchen boom on social media firsthand. We are all eager to showcase the chef within us on our Instagram accounts. 'It has served to democratise and has allowed everyone to access techniques that are professional. And that's wonderful,' states Valencian Rakel Cernicharo."

"An experience, that of 'Next Level Chef', they say, in which they have also lived their own particular battles. 'We had a parallel competition,' recalls Morán with a laugh. 'Sometimes a professional has a bit of that ego, more linked to the exposure of what might go wrong. In contrast, an amateur contestant or Instagrammer is used to being at home and might not have that level of ego,' explains Cernicharo, who also won 'Top Chef' on Antena 3: 'I am living this programme with them and know how they feel. Empathy is necessary for everything in life.'"

"However, these formats, where cooking and entertainment converge, have been criticised by other chefs. Karlos Arguiñano, for example, accused 'MasterChef' of being a 'reality show', not a cooking programme. 'I ask people to watch the show and then give their opinion. The problem is that many opine without seeing things,' says Morán, who also believes that the advent of social media and the internet has led to enthusiasts now having 'a lot of information' to put their ideas on the plates."

"'Next Level Chef' is a 'talent show' and is entertainment. There is television, there is competition, there is play, and it has that very beautiful point of competitiveness,' defends Paniego. 'One of the most beautiful things about this programme is how creativity is sparked. And this is crucial in cooking,' emphasises the Riojan chef. Other guest chefs have also appeared on Telecinco's competition, such as Martín Berasategui, Ángel León, Jordi Cruz, Toño Pérez, Oriol Castro, Fina Puigdevall, Martina Puigvert, Begoña Rodrigo, and David Pallás."