BAFTA-winning Big Zuu's Big Eats back for more on Dave and UKTV Play

BZBE S4

Tuesday 2nd May 2023: UKTV's BAFTA award-winning series Big Zuu's Big Eats will be back and bigger than ever for a fourth series (8x40') this Autumn on Dave and UKTV Play. TV chef and presenter Big Zuu returns with friends Tubsey and Hyder as they fire up the food truck at Big Eats HQ. In a twist on the critically-acclaimed format, Zuu's dinner guests will now come to the Big Eats house for the ultimate foodie experience. The series is produced by Boom, part of ITV Studios, in association with Big Zuu's production company Big Productions Ltd.

Big Zuu said,

I'm so gassed that Big Eats is going again. Winning not one but two BAFTAs for it last year was just incredible, and then getting nominated twice again this year has just made Tubsey, Hyder and I even more excited to get back to it. This series will be another co-production between Boom and my own production company, Big Productions Ltd, so it's an even more personal project for me. Roll on series 4!

Since launching on Dave in 2020, Big Zuu has cooked 88 dishes, inspired by 24 guests and 25 nations from 22 different locations across the UK and earned rave reviews. And it's not just the celebs who love the show, Big Zuu's Big Eats has enjoyed standout success with multiple award wins including BAFTA's for Features and Entertainment Performance last year and a number of wins and nominations for Broadcast Digital Awards, RTS, BPG and Broadcast Awards.

Series three saw Zuu, Tubsey and Hyder invite their guests into the food truck to help kickstart their own Big Eats banquet from Johnny Vegas making a halal-friendly spam burger and the boys taking over Katherine Ryan's kitchen to Fathia El-Ghorri cooking up a morrocan storm in the Oval car park and a St Lucien feast for Joseph Marcell (aka Geoffrey the butler from Fresh Prince of Bel Air). Determined to bring flavour from all over the world to a national audience, Big Zuu will once again welcome his guests into the Big Eats food truck before the Big Eat finale somewhere in the new HQ.

Big Zuu's Big Eats series four is commissioned by Emile Nawagamuwa, UKTV commissioning executive, and ordered for Dave by Cherie Hall, Dave channel director and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Executive producer for Boom and Big Productions is Alex Gilman, with Chris Faith returning as director.

Emile Nawagamuwa said,

There is nothing quite like this series on TV and it's a measure of its many enduring qualities that we are moving to a fourth iteration. We will raise the levels again and embark on a more dynamic, more inventive and more ambitious chapter. Working with Zuu, Tubsey, Hyder and a production team that deliver something truly unique, time after time, is a total joy.

Cherie Hall added,

Watching Big Zuu's Big Eats always brings a smile to my face. His charisma and energy is infectious. This series is going to feel even more escapist, and I'm really excited about the fun this show will bring to Dave.

Alex Gilman, Executive Producer for Boom and Big Productions, said,

Whether it's been from a car park in Edmonton, aboard HMS Victory, or in a Kurdish restaurant in Huddersfield, making this show alongside Zuu, Tubsey, Hyder, and the whole team has been an incredible journey and we're absolutely delighted that the good people at Dave are welcoming us back to make a fourth series. And with the boys now inviting guests into their new HQ, things are set to get even spicier.

Big Zuu's Big Eats series four will air on Dave and UKTV Play later this year. The first three series and Christmas specials can be enjoyed on UKTV Play alongside a whole host of recent UKTV Originals including World's Most Dangerous Roads and returning series Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled and Meet the Richardsons.

ENDS

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About Dave

Sky 111/811, Virgin 127/194, Freesat 157, Freeview 19, Freesat 157

Dave is the award-winning entertainment channel home to a veritable feast of UKTV Original comedy hits from some of the biggest stars in the UK. Comedy entertainment shows like BAFTA-winning Big Zuu's Big Eats, Outsiders, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Hypothetical, Comedians Giving Lectures, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, sit alongside scripted comedies such as Meet The Richardsons, We Are Not Alone and Sneakerhead.

But Dave isn't just restricted to television screens. There's exclusive online content, with YouTube's Outsiders: Gone Wild with David Mitchell and Get Off My Phone! featuring Grace Campbell, Thanyia Moore, Ania Magliano, Travis Jay and more, as well as Facebook series The Comedy Guide To Life, Bad Advice with Olga Koch and BackChat. Dave's partnership with CALM has led to exclusive commissions and innovative online and marketing campaigns such as #BeTheMateYoudWant. Dave also crowns its winner of Dave's Joke of the Fringe at Edinburgh each year.

About UKTV

UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.

UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.

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About UKTV Play

About UKTV Play UKTV Play is an on demand TV service providing instant access to shows from UKTV's free-to-air channels - Dave, W, Yesterday and Drama.

With the easy-to-use UKTV Play app you can browse and stream hundreds of shows for free via your computer, tablet or smart phone. You can also watch on the telly thanks to Freeview Play, Amazon Fire TV, YouView, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Freesat, NOW and Roku. If you're a Sky or Virgin Media customer, shows from other great UKTV channels - Gold, Alibi, and Eden - are also on the menu.

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About Boom

Boom Group is one of Wales' largest production companies, responsible for over 400 hours of programming annually for BBC, S4C, ITV, Channel 5, Channel 4 and UKTV, with a slate that includes shows such as UKTV's Big Zuu's Big Eats, BBC Three & BBC Wales co-commission Hot Cakes, BBC's Daytime series Dom Delivers, S4C's tense crime drama 35 Diwrnod, produced and adapted into 15 Days for Channel 5, More 4's Historic House Rescue and Alan Carr's Adventures with Agatha Christie, and Channel 5's Skin A&E. As well as the Boom label, Boom Group also houses production divisions Boom Cymru, Boom Kids and Boom Social, as well as leading Welsh post-production and VFX facility Gorilla and Motion Graphics company, Bait Studio.

About Big Productions Ltd

Big Productions Ltd is an independent multi-media production company formed by West London TV Chef and Presenter, Big Zuu.