[1] Early programmes such as Elsie Presents, The Diane Lucas Show and Cook's Night Out imparted 'specific, practical skills'[2] on the viewer, and provided ad-lib commentary on matters of homemaking, home entertaining and motherhood.

[4] Programmes such as Great Chefs, Boiling Point and A Cook's Tour combined the factual information of their ancestors with the personal and confessional nature of unscripted television.

[5] 'Delia's "how to cook" gave way to Nigella and Jamie's "how to live"[6] This 'factual entertainment' function has persisted and unifies food reality television's contemporary subgenres.

[10] Since its inception in the post-war period, food reality television has evolved from the occasional instructional programme to an abundant and wide-ranging genre.

[11] Food reality television evolved from cooking segments heard on the radio and homemaking advice offered in women's magazines.

[1] Television hosts performed skills and techniques that may have been difficult to learn by listening to the cooking segment of the radio, watching live demonstrations in supermarkets or reading magazines.

[1] They entertained viewers with stories of the men in their lives, their children, everyday social relations and the identifiable struggle of having ‘much to do and so little time to do it’.

[12] Television hosts imparted family-pleasing recipes and time saving techniques on the audience in an attempt to reduce their daily load.

[13] Following the 1960s, food reality television saw an increasing number of hosts with the intimacy and familiarity of their predecessors, but with newfound celebrity status and expertise.

[3] Lori Brost states that television hosts presented cooking as an art form that was worthy of time and attention, rather than a chore to rush through.

[15] The ‘reality’ nature of programming was heightened by the introduction of popular music tracks, handheld cameras, and observational and voyeuristic style framing.

[16] The post-network era has altered the way in which food reality television is produced and promoted and, the manner in which viewers engage with content.

[17] A rise in on-demand services and mobile device viewing have provided viewers with greater access to international food programming.

[19] Short-form content has proliferated in the post-network era, with platforms such as Youtube and TikTok catering to viewer demand for snackable and shareable entertainment.

[26] Programmes typically feature trips to street vendors and food markets, home cooked meals and restaurant crawls with local guides.

[1] The rise of streaming services, such as Netflix, Prime Video and Stan, and social media networks such as Youtube and TikTok, have provided viewers with greater access to international food programming.

[5] Anthony Bourdain likens food programming to pornography, stating that viewers watch people do things that they have no intention of doing themselves.

[39] According to Kate Frost, audiences are happy watching celebrity chefs create ‘elaborate dishes from fresh, exotic ingredients, while their own plastic-packaged supermarket ready-meals circle sweatily for three minutes in the microwave’.

[1] Food reality television has democratised dining out and provided viewers with the skills and taste knowledge necessary to participate intelligently and impress others.

[11] Isabelle de Solier states that food reality television can be understood as a form of fruitful leisure, as viewers invest their spare time in acquiring 'culinary cultural capital' and bettering themselves with culinary knowledge.

[1] Food reality television is praised for spotlighting small businesses, showcasing real talent and, providing non-actors with the opportunity to tell their stories.

[8] Jamie Oliver and Iain Hewitson have both been praised for providing viewers the recipes and skills necessary to cook healthy, affordable and family-friendly meals.

[28] Lizzy Pope states that the overconsumption portrayed in food reality television may validate unhealthy eating behaviours and set cultural norms.

[44] Lizzy Pope states that watching TV hosts prepare and consume indulgent and enormous dishes might set cultural norms.