Big Zuu's Big Eats is a British comedy television series that premiered on 15 May 2020, on Dave. It stars rapper and grime artist Big Zuu, along with friends Tubsey and Hyder. In each episode they meet a celebrity and discuss memorable and favourite foods, following which the trio cook a meal for the celebrity.
| Big Zuu's Big Eats | |
|---|---|
| Genre |
|
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 38 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 40 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Dave |
| Release | 15 May 2020 – present |
In May 2023, it was confirmed that the Big Zuu's Big Eats would return with a fourth series later in 2023;[1] which premiered on 25 September 2023.[2]
Format
editThe first series was filmed in autumn 2019, and saw Zuu, Tubsey and Hyder cook for comedians on tour, travelling the country in a branded food truck. In each episode, Zuu met with the comedian at a performing venue, and the two discussed food likes and dislikes. From this, Zuu would create a four-course menu - an amuse-bouche, followed by a three-course meal consisting of a starter, main course, and dessert. Footage of Zuu, Tubsey and Hyder shopping for ingredients - frequently favouring local businesses over national chains - would follow, interspersed with clips from the comedian's live performance. In the food truck, Zuu would demonstrate how to make the dishes discussed, with assistance from Tubsey and Hyder. The amuse-bouche would be served to the comedian shortly before they performed on stage that evening, or during a break in the show. After their show, the comedian and Zuu would sit down together at the venue for the three-course meal.
The final two episodes of the first series consisted of Christmas specials featuring multiple guests, from the worlds of music and comedy, with Christmas-themed menus. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on performing arts, series two and three saw the trio meeting up with a wider range of celebrities in a variety of locations. The format of a conversation about food, followed by shopping for ingredients, the cooking and the eating of the meal remained, though the 'filler' activities would vary - for example, Harry Redknapp is seen teaching Zuu how to play golf.
Episodes
edit| Episode Number | Celebrity Guest | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Carr | 15 May 2020 |
| 2 | Rosie Jones | 22 May 2020 |
| 3 | Guz Khan | 29 May 2020 |
| 4 | Phil Wang | 5 June 2020 |
| 5 | Desiree Burch | 12 June 2020 |
| 6 | Jamali Maddix | 26 June 2020 |
| 7 | Josh Widdicombe | 3 July 2020 |
| 8 | London Hughes | 10 July 2020 |
| 9 | Ed Gamble | 17 July 2020 |
| 10 | Lou Sanders | 24 July 2020 |
| 11 | Christmas Eats - Music Special | 11 December 2020 |
| 12 | Christmas Eats - Comedy Special | 18 December 2020 |
| Episode Number | Celebrity Guest | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Maya Jama | 7 June 2021 |
| 14 | James Acaster | 14 June 2021 |
| 15 | Harry Redknapp | 21 June 2021 |
| 16 | Judi Love | 28 June 2021 |
| 17 | Jacob Anderson | 5 July 2021 |
| 18 | Rose Matafeo | 12 July 2021 |
| 19 | Mo Gilligan | 19 July 2021 |
| 20 | Mel Giedroyc | 26 July 2021 |
| 21 | Rob Delaney | 2 August 2021 |
| 22 | Natasia Demetriou | 9 August 2021 |
| Episode Number | Celebrity Guest | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Johnny Vegas | 4 July 2022 |
| 24 | Katherine Ryan | 11 July 2022 |
| 25 | Joseph Marcell | 18 July 2022 |
| 26 | Alex Brooker | 25 July 2022 |
| 27 | Mel B | 1 August 2022 |
| 28 | Lucy Beaumont | 8 August 2022 |
| 29 | Fatiha El-Ghorri | 15 August 2022 |
| 30 | Big Narstie | 22 August 2022 |
| Episode Number | Celebrity Guest | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Jonathan Ross | 25 September 2023 |
| 32 | Roisin Conaty | 2 October 2023 |
| 33 | Mo Farah | 9 October 2023 |
| 34 | Ellie Taylor | 16 October 2023 |
| 35 | Aitch | 23 October 2023 |
| 36 | Alex Scott | 30 October 2023 |
| 37 | Sarah Kendall | 6 November 2023 |
| 38 | Nabil Abdulrashid | 13 November 2023 |
Critical response
editThe show received favourable reviews, and in the 2021 BAFTAs received a nomination for Best Feature.[3] At the 2022 BAFTAs the show won the award for Best Feature and Big Zuu won the award for Best Entertainment Performance.[4] At the Broadcast Awards, Big Zuu's Big Eats received the Gamechanger Programme of the Year in 2021 and the Best Popular Factual Programme award in 2023.[5][6]
The widening of the format for series two, necessitated by the Coronavirus pandemic, was regarded as a positive move for the show.[7] The publicity which followed the show's two BAFTA wins highlighted the refugee backgrounds of the three hosts, and was welcomed by the Refugee Council as a positive portrayal of refugees and their families.[8] The show was compared positively to other well-established cookery shows and formats.[9]
The Daily Telegraph's Anita Singh and The Observer's Barbara Ellen both reviewed the third series four out of five stars.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ "BAFTA-winning Big Zuu's Big Eats back for more on Dave and UKTV Play". uktv.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "Breaking news: Big Zuu's Big Eats Season 4 set to premiere on September 25, 2023 on Dave". tvnextseason.com. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ "Bafta TV Awards 2021: Winners and nominees in full". BBC News. 2021-06-06. Archived from the original on 2021-06-06. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
- ^ "Bafta TV awards 2022: the full list of winners". the Guardian. 2022-05-08. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
- ^ "Meet The Richardsons wins at Broadcast Digital Awards". British Comedy Guide. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Meet The Richardsons amongst Broadcast Digital Awards winners". British Comedy Guide. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Big Zuu on the new series on Dave of Big Zuu's Big Eats". Dorset Echo. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Big Zuu on breaking the mould for cookery shows". BBC News. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Big Zuu's Big Eats: The most fun cookery show ever made". Guardian. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Singh, Anita (4 July 2022). "Big Zuu's Big Eats, series 3, review: not sure about the food, but the host's a winner". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ Ellen, Barbara (17 July 2022). "The week in TV: Breeders; Night Coppers; The Terminal List; Sneakerhead; Big Zuu's Big Eats". The Observer. Retrieved 1 January 2023.