interview by JANA LETONJA
Chef and culinary creator Desmond Scott is taking his digital cooking empire into a new entertainment chapter with Let’s Get It Started with Desmond Scott, a 12-episode BET/Paramount digital series which premiered this October. Executive produced and hosted by Scott, the series reimagines the conventional cooking show through the humble appetizer, pairing elevated recipes with an intimate, personality-driven format in which viewers become his “sous chefs.” With a social audience of approximately 3.5 million followers and individual videos reaching millions of views, Desmond has built a distinctly contemporary culinary language, one where food, personality, lifestyle and visual culture intersect.
photography by DOOHAN ESCALANTE
You’ve built a huge digital audience around food. When did you first realize that what you were creating was becoming bigger than simply sharing recipes?
Honestly, it wasn’t until recently I realized the impact I have on others. It’s tough to really know because I spend the majority of my time in the kitchen. But people are invested, they care, they want to know, they check up on me, and when I’m out or traveling, it becomes very real to me just how much what I do brings peace, calm or happiness to others when I run into those of my community who love and support me.
What does cooking represent to you beyond the food itself — community, culture, creativity, storytelling?
All four are massive aspects of what food represents and means to me. More than anything though, the community stands out the most. Food brings people together. It creates a safe space for dialogue and connection. If you’re in a room of people you don’t know, a table is probably the most comfortable setting to experience new connections with. All it takes is a shared opinion on a dish. To initiate common ground and realize we aren’t all so different and we all enjoy food.
Why did you want the appetizer to be the focus of Let’s Get It Started? What does that first bite say about the rest of the experience?
All things have a beginning. The beginning of every meal, though, sets the tone. Whether it’s a fine dining moment at a restaurant, game day watch party, holiday gatherings, etc., the first thing served is what brings people in and sets the stage for everything to come. I personally like to come out the gate swinging, so we take traditional appetizers and some new ones and elevate them. If you start with a fire appetizer, you can convince your guests that every bite to follow will be an experience.
The series feels like a natural extension of the personality-driven content you’ve developed online. What did you want to preserve from your digital world as you moved into television?
The most important aspect for me was the relatability aspect of my digital content. My audience has always appreciated the down to earth approach to my content. I love when my audience can relate to me and also get to know me through what I produce.
You refer to your viewers as your “sous chefs.” How important is that sense of intimacy and participation to the way you communicate?
I really loved the idea of making this series feel inclusive. Each viewer can feel like they are part of the team and involved while making our different starters, especially if they are the cook and watch type. I really do what I do for the love of cooking and those who watch and support me, so giving them a space to feel like they are along for the journey was really important to me.
There’s a real visual language to contemporary food content. How conscious are you of the relationship between food, fashion, styling, lighting and image-making?
It’s such a big part of what I do. Unfortunately, at the moment, my viewers cannot taste the food and amazing dishes I’m making, so the visuals must speak to the food down to fashion, lighting, framing, details and of course the plating. It all ties together. For example, the lighting makes a difference depending on what vibe or narrative I’m looking for. If it’s casual and moody, I’m waiting till the evening, to turn on the low lights and I’m filming a video/recipe that’s going to be for the date nights and visually appealing. If I want something extremely food, recipe, or fashion focused, I’m letting in the natural light and lighting the scene properly and framing for the best looks.
Food and fashion are both deeply connected to identity and culture. What conversations do you think happen between those two worlds?
I think both are forms of self expression. The way you dress and the way you cook says a lot about who you are, where you come from, and what inspires you. Both allow you to take something traditional and make it your own.
What have millions of views taught you about people’s relationship with food and the way they want to experience it today?
I've learned that people want more than just a recipe. They want to feel something, whether that's peace, comfort, excitement, or inspiration. Food can connect people from completely different backgrounds through a shared experience.
This project also puts you behind the camera as an executive producer. What have you learned about yourself creatively from having a hand in shaping the entire world of the show?
What most people don’t know is that I actually have a background in cinematography and previously owned a video production company. So stepping into an executive producer role feels like a full-circle moment for me. It’s allowed me to reconnect with a side of my creativity that I’ve always been passionate about, while bringing together my love for food, visual storytelling, and filmmaking.
How do you balance authenticity with the increasingly polished expectations that come with entering a larger entertainment space?
I think the key is never losing sight of what made people connect with you in the first place. Production can evolve, the visuals can get bigger, but the person behind it all should remain the same. For me, it's about elevating the experience without losing the authenticity and my approachability.
If you could invite three people from the worlds of fashion, music or art to your kitchen, who would they be and what would you cook for them?
I’d invite Drake, Rihanna, and Ralph Lauren. For Drake and Rihanna, I’d create a menu inspired by Caribbean flavors, Drake loves the islands and Rihanna is obviously from them. For Ralph Lauren, I’d prepare a refined Southern-inspired dining experience, taking traditional comfort dishes and presenting them through a fine-dining lens. I think the conversations around that table would be just as memorable as the food.
You’ve already built a community online. What do you want that community to feel when they watch Let’s Get It Started?
I want them to feel like they are getting a deeper look into who I am and my personality. You can gather a lot in a 30-60 second reel, but when it comes to long form, you get to really sit down with a person for a moment and soak up who they are and the life experiences that they share.
