Martha Stewarts new cooking show dividing the | TV Shows

Martha Stewart’s brand new NBC culinary competition, Yes, Chef!, is already receiving strong reactions after just one episode.

Led by high-profile mentors Martha Stewart and Jose Andres, the show dropped its first episode last week and instantly stirred debate over its sharp tone and throwback to fiery chef culture.

The show brings together 12 chefs who are portrayed as temperamental, egotistical, and prone to having meltdowns.

According to NBC’s description, Yes, Chef! “blends the high-stakes thrill of a cooking competition with the raw emotion of personal transformation.” The winner receives a $250,000 prize and a public image makeover.

Some viewers say the show is “toxic.” The opening moments of episode one feature Stewart in a voiceover stating: “For far too long, the pressure of the kitchen has been an excuse for out-of-control behavior.”

At times, Stewart and Andres step in with guidance, but viewers were quick to notice the parallels to past shows that rewarded volatility.

“Food television never fully stopped making it okay to be a raging a–h–e on TV,” another critic noted.

“Whether it’s in pursuit of culinary excellence and plating precision or due to a deeply personal trauma, that poor behavior has always been on display,” wrote another.

Others see Yes, Chef! as a calculated response to shifting tastes. Shows like The Great British Bake Off and Nailed It! had dominated recent years, offering kind-hearted competition.