Over the past decade, Come Dine With Me: South Africa has served up a buffet of culinary chaos, questionable plating and the kind of dinner-party drama that makes you grateful for your own friends — flaws and all.
The reality TV series, which pits four amateur home cooks against each other in a battle of food, flair and forced politeness, is back for its milestone 10th season, promising more hilariously awkward dinner conversations, passive-aggressive scores, and the kind of meals that range from Michelin-star aspirations to “at least no one got food poisoning”.
Executive producer Ryan Deacon said casting for Come Dine With Me: South Africa is all about personality — not just plating skills. Hopefuls submit audition videos and a dedicated team sorts them by location, character and potential for drama.
After a basic background check and deep dive into shortlisted contestants’ social media, they then go through phone interviews, recorded Zoom auditions and virtual home tours. Surprisingly, their menus aren’t discussed until later.
At its core, Come Dine With Me: South Africa is more than just a cooking show — it’s a comedy of errors, a social experiment and a masterclass in the art of passive-aggression, all wrapped up in a three-course meal.
A decade of dinner-party disasters and delicious drama on 'Come Dine With Me SA'
From lamb shank showdowns to butter chicken curry clashes, we go behind the scenes of the reality competition show for all the juicy details
Image: Supplied by BBC
Over the past decade, Come Dine With Me: South Africa has served up a buffet of culinary chaos, questionable plating and the kind of dinner-party drama that makes you grateful for your own friends — flaws and all.
The reality TV series, which pits four amateur home cooks against each other in a battle of food, flair and forced politeness, is back for its milestone 10th season, promising more hilariously awkward dinner conversations, passive-aggressive scores, and the kind of meals that range from Michelin-star aspirations to “at least no one got food poisoning”.
Executive producer Ryan Deacon said casting for Come Dine With Me: South Africa is all about personality — not just plating skills. Hopefuls submit audition videos and a dedicated team sorts them by location, character and potential for drama.
After a basic background check and deep dive into shortlisted contestants’ social media, they then go through phone interviews, recorded Zoom auditions and virtual home tours. Surprisingly, their menus aren’t discussed until later.
At its core, Come Dine With Me: South Africa is more than just a cooking show — it’s a comedy of errors, a social experiment and a masterclass in the art of passive-aggression, all wrapped up in a three-course meal.
Image: Supplied by BBC
What makes it such a hit is that it’s delightfully unpredictable. One night’s menu might be a triumph worthy of a fine-dining establishment, while the next could end with a guest spitting out a dessert so bad it defies description. And through it all, the real feast is the entertainment — the over-the-top personalities, the brutally honest scorecards and the deliciously dry wit that holds it all together.
It’s the diversity that makes for reality TV gold.
“In the same episode you can have a young student competing with a multimillionaire who's got his Porsche sitting in the front parking lot. It’s not often we get people not enjoying each other's company, but nine times out of 10 everybody has a great time. They’re not necessarily going to be best friends, but they get on and they love the experience,” Deacon said.
Adapted from the wildly popular UK show, which premiered in 2005, the South African edition has become a guilty pleasure for local audiences, thanks to its perfectly balanced recipe of kitchen disasters, eccentric personalities and the brilliantly scathing narration of Dave Lamb.
Image: Supplied by BBC
Image: Supplied by BBC
Deacon, who has been involved with the show from the fourth season, said even though the show has evolved to keep up with the times, it’s still cheesy, fun and risqué — but in a way that doesn’t get anyone fired.
“The show has grown up a little bit. We are a lot more aware of making sure that our contestants look good on camera and aren’t too embarrassed ... We have definitely had to tone it down a little bit, just to fit in with the times and make sure everybody keeps in check and nobody harms their reputation outside,” he said.
One of the ways they’ve toned down the show is by limiting alcohol consumption. Now it’s one tipple per course. In earlier seasons some contestants would get so sloshed they’d forget they were at a dinner party.
“You want people a little bit tipsy and to be relaxed and have fun, but we've also changed. In the past if somebody came on as a non-drinker, they got a lot of pressure from the other three contestants. Now people don't do that any more. If you don't drink, you don't drink — that's what it is.”
But overindulgence wasn’t the only thing that made for memorable moments. There was also Ennie Cleary, whose entire home is pink, including her six Pomeranian dogs she dies pink using beetroot. At her dinner party she served up an entirely pink menu. Even her dogs eat pink pellets.
Image: Alon Skuy
Other iconic episodes include the one where Hebrew, a schoolteacher, added a fake worm to another contestant's meal. And who can forget the 2019 celebrity episode with Real Housewives of Johannesburg star Christall Kay, alongside fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, radio presenter Lucky Du Plessis and TV personality Candice Modiselle.
From lamb shank showdowns to butter chicken curry clashes — and the never-ending debate over baked versus fridge cheesecake — Come Dine With Me: South Africa has seen it all.
As the show enters its 10th season, there's sure to be more unforgettable moments as hopeful home cooks try to impress, outdo and occasionally sabotage each other — all for the coveted R10,000 prize and the dubious honour of being crowned the ultimate dinner party host.
Whereas in previous seasons only amateur cooks from Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town were part of the show, this season will also see contestants from Mbombela, Rustenburg and Bloemfontein vying for the cash prize.
Will we see another culinary masterpiece? Another soufflé collapse? A guest who drinks just a little too much before dessert? Probably all of the above. And that’s exactly why we keep watching.
• Come Dine With Me: South Africa airs on BBC Lifestyle (DStv channel 174) on Wednesdays at 8pm, with repeats on Thursdays at 5pm, or on DStv Catch Up.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
The good, the bad and the hungry: 'Come Dine With Me SA' returns for 10th season
Try this elevated pap and wors recipe à la Tyla on Vogue
Zola, Siba, Lorna: try these delectable recipes from SA’s top celeb chefs
Cooking up a storm with MasterChefs youngest winner
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most read
Latest Videos