Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking Brings Mystical Festive Baked Goods To Food Network Africa, Premieres Saturday 6 December At 18:00 CAT

Viewers and legions of Harry Potter fans are in for a treat as Food Network's Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking returns for a magical new chapter this holiday season. Premiering Saturday, 6 December at 14:00 CAT on Food Network (DStv Channel 175), Chapter Two will feature even more spellbinding creations, enchanted elements and baking wizardry as a new field of competitors embark on the experience of a lifetime. Capitalising on the enduring love for Harry Potter, a global phenomenon that continues to captivate people of all ages around the world, the groundbreaking series blends legendary storytelling and fantastical edible creations in a competition that had audiences on the edge of their seats last year.

 

In its debut season, the series drew 40% more viewers compared to the channel average¹ and saw viewership spike by 172% on Christmas Day², cementing the episode as a festive favourite.

 

Returning hosts James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) bring their charm, humour and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and are joined by esteemed culinary judges Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef, who bring their discerning palates and high expectations to the table. Across the six-episode season, special guests Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Afshan Azad (Padma Patil) and Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan) help evaluate the competitors' showpieces as they share their own stories from the films.

 

Reflecting on the series’ evolution, James Phelps shared, “We knew what to expect going into season two, and the standard just keeps getting higher and higher through this season as well.” His twin brother Oliver added, “Right off the bat, we see some absolutely incredible desserts this time around. One team made a smoked chocolate patisserie that was just unbelievably cool.”

 

In the two-hour premiere, eight teams of two start their journey in The Great Hall, where the Sorting Hat sorts them into one of the four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The first challenge is to craft captivating, edible showpieces inspired by moments from the Harry Potter series and each team's respective Hogwarts house. Week to week, the teams face a new task for which they must design creations that deliver on taste, creativity and visual spectacle, and this season, winning challenges can yield an advantage for a team in the next episode, or the chance to bestow an impediment to others.

 

The series was once again shot at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden including amidst the backdrop of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, on some of the original sets where Harry Potter's journey was brought to life on screen, including such famed locations as Platform 9¾, The Great Hall, and Diagon Alley, as well as The Potions Room, Privet Drive, the Destroyed Gringotts Bank and the triple-decker Knight Bus. “It felt like we’d been teleported back to our Potter days,” said Oliver. “It was quite a nostalgic thing to be part of, it’s really awesome to relive that.”

 

"Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking brings together perfectly the magic of Harry Potter with the exquisite culinary artistry that exemplifies why Food Network is a holiday destination for viewers each year," said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. "The success of season one shows the magic that can happen when collaborating across divisions as we did with Warner Horizon in marrying an iconic property with a fan-favourite genre. The next chapter of this delicious competition promises to bring even more joy to fans this holiday season."

 

Teams competing are: Alex Madrigal (Playa Del Carmen, Mexico) and Jenny Chambers (Salisbury, UK), Andy Ortega (Yonkers, NY) and Stefan Rose (Yorkshire, UK), Angel Figueroa (Denver, CO) and Rui Mota (Lisbon, Portugal), Caitlin Taylor (Bowie, MD) and Jaleesa Mason (Bloomfield, NJ), Heather Tocco (Rochester, MI) and Kate Sigel (Nashville, TN), Marj Santaromana (Richmond, VA) and Sarah Arnold (Charleston, SC), Molly Robbins (Lancashire, UK) and Priya Winsor (St. Albert, Alberta, Canada), and Jujhar Mann (Surrey, BC, Canada) and Katie Bonzer (Orlando, FL).

 

A group of lucky fans will have the opportunity to attend the grand finale, where the remaining teams must make a showpiece that celebrates the Goblet of Fire in a nod to the 20th anniversary of the fourth film in the series. In the end, one victorious team will take home the trophy and be crowned the Wizards of Baking.

 

Food Network Africa had the opportunity to chat with James and Oliver Phelps to get some insight into Chapter Two. Reflecting on the show’s growing international fan base, Oliver shared, “It’s been amazing speaking to people all over the world who watch the show and hearing how they ask each other, ‘What would you make?’ It really connects people through creativity and culture.” James added with a laugh, “I think someone should definitely make a biltong-shaped cake – that would be brilliant!”

7 Years Ago, Discovery's Real Time Was Launched In Place Of Animal Planet And To Combat TLC On MultiChoice's DStv

Real Time is described as a female based lifestyle channel initially offering content from TLC, Animal Planet and Investigation Discovery. Overtime, TLC was gradually phased out from the lineup in favour of Food Network and HGTV.

MultiChoice added Real Time as a replacement to Animal Planet but the problem with its inclusion was that it was being tailored for Easyview package. Basically, they were older seasons to shows including those of Animal Planet it was even worse on the TLC side.

TLC was regarded as the wedding channel and Real Time was what TLC looked like without those shows which included Little People - Big World, Toddlers & Tiaras and Sister Wives. As mentioned, Real Time no longer airs on from TLC it likely had to do with its inclusion.

TLC is available to most DStv subscribers it didn't make much sense to launch a channel to offer their shows half of the time especially since TLC would still rerun shows like Kitchen Boss.

Honestly speaking, I kind of question why Real Time even existed I get some subscribers don't have Investigation Discovery, HGTV or Food Network. But then the latter now takes a chunk of TLC's airtime making Real Time look more competitive than complementary.

On a DStv standpoint, consumers can just downgrade from Compact to Easyview seeing as shows like Guy's Grocery Games and Pool Kings are now on Real Time. Hollywood Demons isn't as prehistoric as most of the shows yet it aired on Real Time.

With its parent company undergoing a split or possible sale, I'd imagine some restructuring or due diligence could be underway. Real Time barely markets any of their content and if you're someone who doesn't have access to the main networks for the shows its challenging.

Real Time could as well have aired the first three seasons of Disappeared and you were waiting and had given up on a fourth season. Then it suddenly airs after a few months or a year but you weren't tuning in because no marketing had been done for you to have known.

This has been going on for sometime and imagine in a couple of years Warner Bros. Discovery or whatever is left of it will probably just close Real Time. As mentioned, TLC has split part of its airtime for Discovery's other cable networks making Real Time redundant.

At the same time, it's likely that we could see more consolidation within the industry perhaps with Discovery Family since it's been leaning heavily on Discovery Channel.

Cartoon Network Will Not Be Airing Iyanu Following It's African Release On Showmax

Adapted from Roye Okupe’s graphic novel series “Iyanu: Child of Wonder,” published by YouNeek Studios and Dark Horse Comics (the powerhouse behind “The Umbrella Academy” and “Hellboy”), the series is helmed by Roye Okupe himself, who was born and raised in Nigeria and now serves as Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner. The series is produced by Lion Forge Entertainment, a leading Black-owned animation studio in North America.

Drawing on Nigerian culture, music, and mythology, the animated series follows Iyanu, a brave young orphan living in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland. While studying history and ancient arts, she yearns for a normal life—until a looming threat awakens divine powers not seen since the legendary Age of Wonders. Accompanied by newfound friends Biyi, Toye, and a magical leopard named Ekun, Iyanu sets out to uncover the source of this evil, unlocking her destiny along the way.

The entire first season of IYANU was made available across 44 African countries on streaming partner Showmax beginning June 13. Other broadcasters like ITVX will also stream the series across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

The talented all-African IYANU voice cast includes: Serah Johnson as Iyanu; Okey Jude as Biyi, Iyanu’s carefree adventurer friend; Samuel Kugbiyi as Toye, Iyanu’s bookworm companion; Adesua Etomi-Wellington as Olori; Blossom Chukwujekwu as Kanfo, Toye's father; Stella Damasus as Sewa; Shaffy Bello as Emi – The One Mother; and Ike Ononye as Elder Alapani.

The show’s executive producers are David Steward II, Stephanie Sperber, Kirsten Newlands and Matt Heath from Lion Forge Entertainment, Roye Okupe of YouNeek Studios, Erica Dupuis of Impact X Capital, Ryan Haidarian of Forefront Media Group and Doug Schwalbe of Superprod.

Fans of Iyanu are likely waiting for its official rollout on Cartoon Network in Africa and other parts of the world but that won't be the case unfortunately. According to a rep at WBD, the series is not expected to air on Cartoon Network should there be any updates it will be published. 

It should be noted that although Warner Bros. Discovery publicised it as an original series it's being helmed at Lion Forge Entertainment. They are currently it's distribution for Cartoon Network and HBO Max but this is only applicable to the US leaving the window open for broadcasters like Showmax.

Showmax being owned by Canal+'s MultiChoice also manage the Africa Magic channels and distribute Play Room in the market making them possible broadcasters for Iyanu. As seen with other African animated series like Twende and Jay Jay The Chosen One.

Cartoon Network International Brings Back New Episodes Of The Wonderfully Weird World Of Gumball In February 2026

Following the phenomenal success of The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball, which scored a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Cartoon Network Africa is thrilled to announce that brand-new episodes will premiere in February 2026.

 

Produced by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, the beloved animated series continues its legacy of comedy and creativity with 20 fresh episodes packed with outrageous humour, heartfelt moments, and features original music numbers that bring Elmore to life like never before.

 

The upcoming stories dive further into hilariously bizarre family dynamics and schoolyard chaos. From Gumball facing the most difficult bike ride of his life, to Darwin’s rise as a power-hungry witch, expect Gumball and Darwin to tackle everything from awkward promposals to epic party entrances and uncover secrets through a mysterious diary. Anais also takes centre stage, grappling with premature ageing under family stress, while Nicole teams up with Yuki to impress at Career Day, and Richard schemes to cool off during a heatwave.

 

Beyond the Watterson household, Elmore Junior High becomes a battleground of eccentric challenges, from fighting off an evil guidance counsellor to travelling to the underworld with Carrie. Fans can look forward to spoofs of cult classics, April Fool’s showdowns, and sketch-style episodes exploring the hidden lives of Elmore’s residents.

 

Record-Breaking Performance

Gumball’s return to Cartoon Network in October was a cultural moment, launching 20 brand-new episodes and reaffirming its status as the #1 kids’ and family IP across the Cartoon Network ecosystem. In 2025, the series smashed records, drawing 54 million viewers on linear and generating over 150 million organic social media views, plus 28 million social engagements in just 10 days. Gumball continues to dominate with 16 billion lifetime views across YouTube on Cartoon Network channels, 1.8 billion of these in 2025 alone, and over 6.5 million interactions on Cartoon Network’s GameOn! experience on Roblox this year. On TV, it was the most-watched show on the channel, and ranked #1 in its premiere slot in markets including the UK, Poland, Spain, and South Africa, #2 in countries including Turkey, Portugal, and Singapore, plus claimed a top four ranking in Japan.

 

Warner Bros. Discovery, GM, International Kids, Animation and Franchise, Vanessa Brookman says: “It’s an amazing privilege to be able to bring more of this wonderful series to audiences around the world. In a world where kids’ attention is more fragmented than ever, success starts with exceptional content. Gumball’s latest launch proves that when you pair world-class storytelling with a smart, ultra-targeted campaign, you don’t just reach audiences, you spark global conversations and shared experiences. This combination is at the heart of our strategy and why Gumball continues to lead the way in kids’ entertainment.”

 

Created and executive produced by Ben Bocquelet, The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball is a quarter-hour animated comedy series that blends an eclectic mix of media styles, including 2D & 3D animation, CGI, puppetry, photorealism and live action, into a wildly imaginative world defined by its vibrant visual style and sharp meta humour. Matt Layzell and Erik Fountain serve as Executive Producers and Series Directors. The Composer for the series is Xav Clarke, and Joe Sparrow serves as Art Director. The stellar voice cast includes Alkaio Thiele as Gumball, Hero Hunter as Gumball’s younger brother Darwin, Kinza Syed Khan as younger sister Anais, Teresa Gallagher as Gumball’s mother Nicole, and Dan Russell as his father Richard, among many others.

December 2025 On History Channel Across Africa | Channel Premiere: Nazi Murder Mysteries | Returning Shows Including Storage Wars | More

Brand New 

BRITAIN’S LOST BATTLEFIELDS 

3 December

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday from 21:05

This series vividly brings to life the stories of Britain’s most famous battles, using a combination of great storytelling, poignant graphics and archival and drone footage. Presenter Rob Bell talks to passionate historians, delving into the turning points and tactics of six battles that shaped Britain: Bannockburn, Hastings, Bosworth Field, Naseby, Boudicca’s Rebellion AKA the Battle of Watling Street and Kett's Revolt in Norfolk. We retrace the footsteps of kings, dukes, peasants, and heroic warriors on their route to battle and relive the nervous moments before battle commences. Repeat: Next Day 13:25

Brand New & Exclusive

STORAGE WARS S16

8 December

Weekdays 18:10

Storage Wars returns for season 16. Familiar faces and bidding wars are back in the spotlight as the buyers come back to the lockers for another exciting season. This latest season will bring viewers longer episodes for the first time. Will the storage units turn out to be untapped sources for hidden treasures, or will they just be filled with junk? As the bidding gets higher, get ready for some drama. Repeat: Next Day 9:00

Brand New

WWII: WITNESS TO WAR 

8 December

Weekdays from 21:05

WWII: Witness to War tells the stories of the wars’ major battles through the eyes of those who were there. Fortunately, many servicemen and civilians from all over the world have recorded their memories and recollections over the years and it’s these powerful spoken testimonies that form the backbone of the series. This is raw military and social history told from the human angle. The recorded experiences of those who lived through the war are carefully woven around the main narrative, while some of the world’s foremost historians bring their unique insights to each episode. Repeat: Next Day 13:25

Brand New

NAZI MURDER MYSTERIES 

9 December

Tuesdays 19:25

Nazi Murder Mysteries looks at some of the most shocking and unusual cases connected with the regime’s bloody reign. From the suspicious death of Hitler’s niece and a serial killer terrorising Berlin to the corrupt murder investigation that linked the former King of Great Britain to Nazi money. This series explores and investigates the murders and mysterious events that have either remained forgotten or even covered up. Incorporating expert interviews with dramati c reconstruction and archive footage, each stand-alone episode tells another side to the history that you thought you knew. Repeat: Next Day 11:45

Brand New & Exclusive

STORAGE HUNTERS S4

10 December

Wednesdays 19:25

Storage Hunters returns for season 4. From big cash scores and antiques to weird and wacky left - behinds, husband and wife team Brandon and Lori Bernier get their hands on all kinds of stuff. This season will see bidders fight in the ultimate blind buy and will see the first ever day to night auction. Repeat: Next Day 11:45

Brand New & Exclusive

MOUNTAIN MEN S14 

11 December

Thursdays 20:15

In the rugged wilderness of North America, Mountain Men returns with an adrenaline-charged season 14, where each character takes on bold new challenges, testing the limits of their skills and perseverance. This season, there’s no rest for the self-reliant men and women who have left modern day life to embrace the enduring traditions that once defined the West. Surviving in the wild means constantly forging ahead and going to extraordinary lengths to protect the life they’ve built. This winter brings new traplines, fresh cabin constructions, and ambitious money-making ventures, big dreams and even bigger projects that could either lead to booming success or crushing disappointment. Repeat: Next Day 12:35

Brand New

CANADIAN PICKERS S2

31 December

Wednesdays 20:15

Featuring a little-known side of the antiques business, join the Canadian Pickers for the second season as they rummage through barns, basements, attics and sheds in search of rusty gold, and encounter some incredible people and stories along the way. Professional ‘pickers’ Sheldon Smithens and Scott Cozens will buy anything from motorbikes and memorabilia to military heirlooms. It’s not just about the money it’s about great stories, a passion for the past, and the thrill of the hunt. Repeat: Next Day 12:35

Brand New & Exclusive

HOLY HISTORY

Starts 14 December

Sundays & Mondays

From 20:15

‘Holy History’, every Sunday and Monday evening, starting 14 December, explores sacred relics and rituals and investigates the personal narratives of the most transformative figures in religious history. We uncover the truth behind some of history’s most enduring legends with Dennis Quaid in season 2 of Holy Marvels with Dennis Quaid and look at the intense political backdrop of Jesus’ life in Jesus Crown Of Thorns, season 2 and 3.

Brand New & Exclusive

JESUS CROWN OF THORNS S2

14 December

Sundays 20:15

Jesus Crown of Thorns tells the story of Jesus Christ as a gripping docuseries, set against the backdrop of 1st-century Judea where he emerges as a revolutionary figure challenging authority at the time. The series blends acti on-driven drama with historical context and insights from scholars and faith leaders. Season two of Jesus Crown of Thorns will explore Jesus’ ministry and the social unrest it sparked. Repeat: Saturday from 21:05

Brand New & Exclusive

JESUS CROWN OF THORNS S3

28 December

Sundays 20:15

Following straight on from season 2, season 3 of Jesus Crown of Thorns will depict the fi nal week of Jesus’s life in Jerusalem, followed by his crucifixion and resurrection. Repeat: Saturday from 21:05

Brand New & Exclusive

HOLY MARVELS WITH DENNIS QUAID S2

15 December

Mondays 20:15

For thousands of years, cultures around the world have been captivated by sacred objects, ideas, rituals, and places – wonders meant to inspire, mystify, and sometimes even terrify. From sacred strongholds to legendary beasts and hidden codes, season two of Holy Marvels With Dennis Quaid digs deep into the remarkable stories to uncover the truth behind some of history’s most enduring legends. Historians, authors, and professors of archaeology and religious studies will shed light on the impact of these blessed belongings from cultures and religions around the world and the compelling stories each element holds. Repeat: Next Day 12:35

Brand New & Exclusive

LOST SECRETS OF JESUS

22 December

Monday 21:05

Lost Secrets of Jesus takes viewers back two millennia to explore the history, context, and character of one of the most one of the most iconic figures in history. The documentary peels back the layers of centuries old tradition and artistic interpretation to reveal the historical and archaeological evidence behind the life of Jesus. Taking viewers on a captivating journey from the ruins of Bethlehem to the heart of Roman politics, this special uncovers the lost cities, astonishing discoveries, and hidden truths that shaped the world of Jesus. Repeat: Next Day 13:25