The Heat line-up: Meet the cast in Olivia Attwood’s fiery new series

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Olivia Attwood is back on screens in an exciting new reality series, The Heat.

A new cooking competition starts tonight on ITVX. Ten talented chefs head to Barcelona to work with renowned chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, who’s opening a special summer restaurant and searching for the next big culinary talent.

This isn’t like watching a typical cooking competition. While the kitchen closes for the night, the cameras continue to film everything – from the staff’s personal lives and dates to their nights out. There’s no privacy – you see it all on The Heat.

So, who are the young hopefuls taking part? Read on to find out more about the cast of The Heat.

The Heat line-up: Meet the cast of new ITV2 reality series

Akito

Age: 24

Location: Cheshire

Akito combines his passion for cooking with making videos, and has gained a large following with his energetic and quick-paced videos about being a chef. He’s earned millions of views for his work.

He started his cooking journey at 16, beginning as a kitchen helper in upscale restaurants and eventually becoming a sous chef.

Alex W

Age: 22

Location: County Cork, Ireland

Alex grew up at Ballymaloe, a famous estate that’s home to his family’s well-known restaurant and cooking school.

Alex started his culinary journey helping out at his family’s restaurant, then spent a season cooking for guests at a ski chalet. Now, he’s focused on advancing his career and moved to London, where he honed his skills as a Chef de Partie at Straker’s and later at Lyles.

Djordje

Age: 26

Location: Wakefield

Djordje began his career working with customers, but he soon developed a passion for cooking and transitioned to the kitchen, starting as a commis chef.

He began his career as a junior sous chef at the Palm Hospitality Group in Wakefield. He now works as a chef de partie at Shears Yard in Leeds.

Jayon

Age: 22

Location: Manchester

Jayon started his culinary career at 16, working his way up from a kitchen porter to a chef de partie at restaurants like The Ivy and Medlock Canteen.

He has hopes of opening his own Jamaican themed restaurant in Manchester.

Kat

Age: 22

Location: Scottish Highlands

Kat started her culinary journey at the Virgin Hotel in Glasgow as a commis chef. She then honed her skills at the popular restaurant Glaschu before taking on a chef de partie role at the Marriott.

Kat now enjoys living in cities and recently relocated to Glasgow before planning a trip to Australia.

Maja

Age: 25

Location: London

Maja went to university to study criminology, but after she graduated, she discovered she was much more passionate about cooking.

Maja received culinary training at Leith’s Cookery School and honed her skills as a chef at Clipstone Restaurant. Following time spent living and working in Australia and then returning to London, she is now a chef at The Hart in Marylebone.

Marta

Age: 21

Location: London

Marta started her culinary journey as an apprentice at a highly-rated, three-Michelin-star restaurant. It was there she developed a love for making pastries. Later, she worked as a personal chef in Tenerife.

Tom

Age: 21

Location: South Wales

Tom is the creative director at Crave in Exeter, where he’s been working with the owner to create their menu.

He started his professional cooking career at just 16 years old, gaining valuable experience at renowned restaurants like The Hardwick, Lucknam Park, and The Savoy. He even had the chance to work with Gordon Ramsay at The Savoy in London.

Seren

Age: 21

Location: Buckinghamshire

Seren works as a host at The Heat. While she’s currently a fashion marketing student at the University of Manchester, she’s always been most passionate about food.

While going to school, Serne also works as a chef at Honest Crust, a pizza stand inside Mackie Mayor food hall. This job gives her practical experience in a professional kitchen.

Helina

Age: 21

Location: London

Helina works as a front-of-house team member on The Heat. She’s also a house coordinator at a members’ club in Soho, responsible for greeting guests, managing events, and ensuring smooth communication between the club’s different teams – including head office, the kitchen, and the bar.

But her true passion is music, with her ultimate dream being to become a singer-songwriter.

Natalia

Location: Maitre D

Natalia brings over two decades of experience to the hospitality world. She started at the Michelin-starred Danube and later worked at the famous Le Cirque, learning from industry leader Sirio Maccioni.

She now owns Sete, a popular restaurant and wine bar in Margate, and has received multiple awards for her work. She’s also the creator of LOR (Ladies Of Restaurants), a group dedicated to supporting women in the hospitality industry.

The Heat begins on Tuesday 24 February at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

Don’t miss out! Add “The Heat” to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download it today for daily TV recommendations, exclusive features, and more.

Authors

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

I’m a big fan of TopMob, and I always check out Katelyn Mensah’s articles! She’s their Senior Entertainment Writer, so she covers everything – from the biggest shows to the latest reality TV and those really impactful documentaries. Before TopMob, she was writing about reality TV and celebrity news at The Tab, and she has a journalism degree, so she really knows her stuff!

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2026-02-24 20:09