JAMIE OLIVER TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE BBC AMERICA'S NEW COOKING EXPEDITION SERIES "CHEF RACE: UK vs U.S."

British and American chefs go head-to-head in a race from LA to NYC to win $100,000

New York - June 13, 2012 - BBC AMERICA's General Manager, Perry Simon, has greenlit a new cooking expedition series, Chef Race: UK vs U.S., which will premiere in Fall 2012. Executive produced by Jamie Oliver, the new original unscripted series (10 x 60) follows sixteen chefs, eight Brits versus eight Americans, as they race across the United States from Los Angeles to New York City in hopes of winning the $100,000 prize.

Throughout the journey the chefs are accompanied by Michelin-starred London Restaurateur Richard Corrigan (Masterchef), who serves as a mentor and judge, and host Claire Robinson (5 Ingredient Fix). With no money and minimal resources, the chefs must rely on more than their cooking skills. Resourcefulness, ingenuity, leadership and finesse will be just as important on their 3,000 mile adventure.

Jamie Oliver, Executive Producer, Fresh One says: "The restaurant business is one of the toughest in the world and to be successful in it these days takes so much more than just being able to cook. You've got to have a good business sense, vision, leadership and so much more. This series is the first time that anyone has really dug deep into what it takes to be successful and it's going to take an incredible individual to win it."

Perry Simon, General Manager, Channels, BBC Worldwide America adds: "Chef Race: UK vs U.S. celebrates great chefs from both sides of the pond, bringing their best cooking and entrepreneurial skills to bear in a creative format that showcases the diversity of America. The show is a great fit with our BBC America brand and our slate of new original series."

Chef Race: UK vs U.S.is a BBC AMERICA original series and will be produced by Jamie Oliver's Fresh One Productions, with Jamie Oliver (Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution), Amy Chacon (The Amazing Race), Stef Wagstaffe (Undercover Boss), Roy Ackerman (Reagan, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution), Sebastian Grant (Lilly Allen and Friends) and Jo Ralling (Jamie's American Road Trip) serving as executive producers.

Chef Race: UK vs U.S. is the latest commission to join BBC AMERICA's stable of all-new original programming, along with scripted drama Copper debuting on Sunday, August 19.

Note to editors Twitter: @BBCAMERICA Hashtag: #ChefRace

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy(R), five Golden Globes(R) and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 79 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.