'The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver': What is it? When is it on TV? All you need to know

A brand new cookery contest fronted by Jamie Oliver is aiming to find the next star cookbook author.

King of the recipe book bestsellers Oliver is on the hunt for foodies with million-dollar ideas on what will be a hit for publishers.

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Here's all you need to know about the new series, how it works and when it's on TV.

When is The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver on TV?

The seven-episode series begins tonight (Monday) at 8pm on Channel 4 and continues weekly.

What is the competition about?

Putting a fresh spin on the usual cookery contests, The Great Cookbook Challenge asks contestants to come up with a brilliant idea for a recipe book that will fly off the shelves.

It's a clever twist when you consider that many a TV cooking contest winner will go on to publish their own book - and who better to present it than Jamie Oliver, whose books are always sure-fire hits?

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The concept is MasterChef meets Dragons' Den as 18 keen cooks are coached through the competition by Jamie Oliver and then must make their best business pitch to publishers Penguin Michael Joseph.

Starting out with six cooks per episode in the first three heats, the contestants pick a recipe that best represents their book's concept and use it to introduce themselves to the judges, with two from each round going on to the challenge stages.

Those taking part could be anyone from keen home cooks to professional chefs and Instagrammers, and their ideas range from speedy vegan meals to nose-to-tail recipes and dishes that can be mopped up with bread.

All of the cooks are competing for a potentially life-changing prize of a publishing deal with Penguin Michael Joseph.

Who are the judges?

While Oliver will be hosting and coaching, he won't actually get the final say on who the winner will be.

Head judge is Louise Moore, the managing director of Penguin Michael Joseph who has a strong idea of the sorts of concepts that will work for her company.

She'll sit alongside Evening Standard restaurant critic and food writer Jimi Famurewa, and award-winning recipe writer and author Georgina Hayden.

The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver begins tonight at 8pm on Channel 4.

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