Selena Gomez is not a chef. But she's about to play one on TV.
On Thursday, May 11, the pop star becomes the latest—and, perhaps, one of the unlikeliest—face of food television when her new show, appropriately entitled Selena + Chef, premieres on HBO Max. In each episode of the new series, filmed while social distancing amid the pandemic, Selena is joined virtually by a different master chef to tackle cuisines of every variety, share invaluable tips and tricks, and deal with everything from smoking ovens to missing ingredients.
As unlikely a marriage Selena and food TV might seem, she's far from the first celebrity to step outside their obvious realm of expertise and enter into the world of culinary arts. While some just sign up to host competition series involving food, a brave and kitchen-confident few have actually invited viewers into their own homes, sharing family recipes of the stars.
In fact, Selena's new show comes just months after Amy Schumer made her own foray into the kitchen in May with the Food Network's Amy Schumer Learns to Cook. Self-filmed alongside husband Chris Fischer—who just so happens to be a James Beard Award-winning chef—while their family has been in quarantine during the global coronavirus pandemic, the show gives fans a peek into the couple's home life under the most unique of circumstances. Chris, who specializes in farm-to-table cuisine, whips up some comfort food while Amy serves as his hilarious sous chef. It returns for season two on Monday, Aug. 17.
To see who else's foodie footsteps Selena is following in, scroll down!
Since 2016, Snoop has co-hosted a cooking-themed variety show with unlikely colleague Martha Stewart originally called Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party. In its third and most recent season, the VH1 series changed its name to Martha & Snoop's Potluck Party Challenge, which pits the two, each with a celebrity guest assistant, against one another in cooking challenges.
The legendary country singer and wife of Garth Brooks has been the host of Trisha's Southern Kitchen on Food Network since 2012, cooking southern-inspired meals for her family and (sometimes famous) friends. The show, which won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Culinary Program in 2013, is now on its 12th season.
Debuting on Aug. 13, the pop star will appear in Selena + Chef for new streamer HBO Max. In the series, she tackles new dishes in the kitchen while self-quarantined during the coronavirus pandemic with the virtual assistance of a rotating roster of master chefs, including Antonia Lofaso, Ludo Lefebvre, Nancy Silverton, Roy Choi and more.
In 2012, the British supermodel began hosting a cooking show, Well Dunn with Jourdan Dunn, on Jay-Z's now-defunct YouTube channel Life + Times, often joined by her model friends.
Before the dogged legal commentator ended her long-running HLN show in 2016, she showed off a different side to herself with the 2015 digital series Cooking with Nancy Grace that lived on the network's website.
In 2009, the Olympic figure skater began hosting the Food Network series What Would Brian Boitano Make?, a play on the South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut song "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" The show, which aired for two seasons, showed the self-taught cook making several dishes in his San Francisco home before entertaining friends.
Since 2015, the One Day at a Time and Hot in Cleveland star has been busy as the host of Valerie's Home Cooking. The series, which just entered its 11th season on Food Network, showcases Bertinelli's family-influenced recipes as she prepares them for loved ones in her home.
In 2018, the country music superstar followed in Trisha Yearwood's footsteps and landed a Food Network series of her own. Martina's Table shows off McBride's passion for cooking with recipes inspired by her Midwestern upbringing.
For two seasons in 2015 and 2016, the Everybody Loves Raymond star hosted a Food Network series entitled Patricia Heaton Parties, which showcased the actress preparing different recipes for themed parties.
In 2016, the self-taught wife of NBA star Steph Curry landed a Food Network series entitled Ayesha's Homemade. The show returned for a second season the following year with a new title—Ayesaha's Home Kitchen—before being canceled.
From 2011 through 2017, the Younger star and her Italian husband, chef Gabriele Corcos, were the stars of Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel.
In 2014, the actress (Hilary Duff's older sister!) began hosting The Real Girl's Kitchen on the Cooking Channel. The series, which ran for two seasons, featured recipes inspired by Duff's travels to New York City as well as her hometown of Los Angeles.
The Beverly Hills 90210 icon and her husband Dean McDermott (who presented the first two seasons of Chopped Canada in 2014 and 2015) have hosted three specials on the Cooking Channel, dedicated to recipes and party planning for a backyard dinner party, Thanksgiving and a spring picnic.
From 2015 to 2017, Tamera Mowry's twin hosted a Cooking Channel show of her own entitled Tia Mowry at Home.
In 2015, the Saved by the Bell vet began hosting Dinner at Tiffani's on the Cooking Channel. Running for three seasons, the show featured Thiessen preparing dinner with a different group of celebrity friends each episode.
In 2016, the former Empire star and his five siblings, including Lovecraft Country star Jurnee Smollett, appeared on the Food Network series Smollett Eats, which captured them all gathering to prepare family-style meals every Saturday.
Filmed while quarantining during the global coronavirus pandemic, the iconic comedian and her James Beard Award-winning chef husband Chris Fischer gave fans a look into their lives as they kept busy in the kitchen in Amy Schumer Learns to Cook. Premiering on Food Network in May, the show was quickly renewed and returns for season two on Aug. 17.
Selena + Chef premieres on Thursday, Aug. 13 on HBO Max, while Amy Schumer Learns to Cook returns for season two on Monday, Aug. 17 on the Food Network.
(Originally published on May 11, 2020 at 5 p.m. PST.)