Chef Raymond Blanc comes to BBC Two this autumn with a new restaurant reality show.

The Restaurant will see Blanc put nine couples through their paces to see if they have what it takes to run their own restaurant.

Blanc said: "It is a life changing decision to take part in this programme – it is not just a game. They are making many sacrifices without even knowing if they are going to win."

The chef has previous been critical of culinary-based reality TV shows, telling The Mirror in April last year, that the genre "strips people of dignity and promotes abuse."

But the chef has said of his new show: "I said I would never do a reality TV programme, I am a people person first and foremost, I want to inspire and create, to believe in people, not bully, humiliate and crush them. But as soon as I saw that the series concept shared my values I agreed to this wonderful opportunity – so never say never."

During the eight-week series each of the nine couples takes over an empty restaurant, makes it their own and will open their doors to the paying public, with Blanc's panel of "inspectors" – restaurant industry experts Lee Cash, Sarah Willingham and John Lederer - selecting the three worst performing, one of which will be closed by Blanc at the end of the week. By the end of the series just one couple and one restaurant will be left open.

The winning couple will be able to run their own restaurant financially backed and personally supported by Blanc, who will be investing a six figure sum in the new business.

Marco Pierre White, another chef who has previously been critical of TV cooking reality programmes, will head up ITV1's Hell's Kitchen, which starts later this month.