A Bermudian DJ-turned-chef is to represent Bermuda on Amazon Prime Video’s The World Cook.

The streaming service’s cookery programme, which pits international chefs against one another in locations around the world, debuted in December 2022 and is hosted by Fred Sirieix and Emma Willis.

The first series was so popular that the show is returning for a second season, which will feature Beatnik Rubaine and other contestants.

Mr Rubaine, a self-taught chef who moved to Britain in 2004 where he lives with his wife, Catherine, and daughter, Mia, said he was “excited and petrified at the same time” when he was told that he had qualified to appear on the show.

“I have always thought about doing something like this, but it never happened,” he told The Royal Gazette from his London home.

“People have been encouraging me for years. I was over the moon but petrified. You ask yourself, do I really have it? You question yourself, do I have what it takes? Can I maintain composure?

“It still seems surreal to have the opportunity to cook, represent Bermuda and hopefully inspire other Bermudians.“

Mr Rubaine went through a gruelling month-long process involving multiple online interviews and a live, filmed cooking demonstration before finally being selected last September.

He has since been filming and has had a great time bonding with the 15 other international contestants in the show.

“I met people from Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, America, Scotland, Peru, Brazil. We got along really nicely.

“We had to do a lot of filming. During the cooking process, you have cameras all over you, and you have to memorise your recipe. I had a few rehearsals at home but you have questions to answer from the hosts constantly as you are cooking, and the judges can hear everything you are saying. Can you handle the pressure?

“As a chef, it is exhilarating. It is part of chef life.

“Because we developed a bond, I didn’t look at the others as competitors. It’s like I was cooking against my mates. Even now we are corresponding on WhatsApp and sharing different things about our families.”

Mr Rubaine, 58, who was born in Bermuda and raised in Deepdale Road and Palmetto Road in Pembroke, is not allowed to give too much away about the show before it premieres tonight, but he did say Bermuda’s seafood is featured.

“Your dish has to be from where you come from,” he explained. “I am representing part of my culture, so I cooked a Bermuda-inspired fish dish. I wanted to highlight some of our seafood, things we like to eat from the ocean.

“You have to eat what you can get in the UK. You get kingfish, which is similar to wahoo. We get snappers and tuna here. They sell bream like it’s going out of style. We don’t eat that in Bermuda.”

When Mr Rubaine moved to Britain, he struggled to earn a living as a DJ. After searching for employment for a year, he “bluffed” his way into a job as a chef. While he has built a good reputation working in a range of restaurants and other establishments in London, he decided to change careers to spend more time with his family.

He now earns his living doing fibre plastering and also runs Loquat Entertainment, which organises Bermudian-inspired events in venues including the well-known Camden Lockside.

He has also launched a radio station called Music Box Radio, which plays golden-era hip-hop, soul, funk and reggae, and which will be featuring Bermudian artists.

He still loves to cook “high-quality” restaurant-style meals at home and keeps his skills up to date with new techniques.

Mr Rubaine runs a Facebook page featuring some of his recipes called Beatnik’s Delicious Eats, where he announced this week: “I am beyond excited to announce that I’ll be representing Bermuda on the upcoming show on Amazon Prime.

“Check out all the action as it unfolds in The World Cook kitchen and watch ya boy on the big screen rep’n Bermy!

“I want to thank my wife and daughter, and everyone who has encouraged me over the years to continue with my passion and to compete in such a competition.

“I must say that it was one of, if not the most surreal time in my life. Actually, I still find it hard to believe that I did it. This ranks up there with marriage, parenthood and moving to another country.

“It was an amazing journey not just in terms of food, but I met some amazing people, just hanging out, like we’d known each other for years! Priceless!”

The competitors will be judged by Atul Kochhar, twice-Michelin-starred chef, and Crystelle Pereir, The Great British Bake-Off runner-up.

The winner of the five-part second series is crowned The World Cook, has a restaurant from TUI — the sponsor and leading travel brand — named after them, and the chance to design a dish for the à la carte menu.

Speaking of the upcoming season, Mr Sirieix told Yahoo! Movies: "The standard of cooking has truly blown me away — this is the cream of the crop. It's the Olympics of cooking competitions, and in the end, only one can emerge victorious."

The show returns on Amazon Prime Video today, with all episodes being made available to watch.