Cooku with Comali, also known as CWC, is a popular Tamil-language cooking comedy reality show aired on Star Vijay. Unlike a conventional cooking competition, the programme combines serious culinary challenges with comedy by pairing celebrity cooks with comedians known as “Comalis.” The unusual combination of cooking, entertainment and spontaneous humour has helped the show build a large following since its launch.
Cooku with Comali premiered on 16 November 2019. Chef Damu has remained one of the programme’s most familiar judges, while Rakshan hosted most of its first six seasons. Over the years, winners have included actors, television personalities and other celebrities. As of August 2026, six seasons have produced official winners, while Season 7 is approaching its grand finale.
List of Cooku with Comali Winners
| Season | Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Host |
| Season 1 | 2019–20 | Vanitha Vijayakumar | Uma Riyaz Khan | Rakshan, Aranthangi Nisha |
| Season 2 | 2020–21 | Kani Thiru | Shakeela | Rakshan |
| Season 3 | 2022 | Shrutika Arjun | Darshan | Rakshan |
| Season 4 | 2023 | Mime Gopi | Srushti Dange | Rakshan |
| Season 5 | 2024 | Priyanka Deshpande | Sujitha Dhanush | Rakshan, Manimegalai |
| Season 6 | 2025 | Raju Jeyamohan | Shabana Shajahan | Rakshan |
| Season 7 | 2026 | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | Ma Ka Pa Anand, Shaalin Zoya |
Cooku with Comali Season 1 Winner – Vanitha Vijayakumar

The first season of Cooku with Comali premiered on 16 November 2019 on Star Vijay. Rakshan and Aranthangi Nisha hosted the inaugural edition, while Chef Damodharan and Chef Venkatesh Bhat judged the cooking performances.
Actress Vanitha Vijayakumar emerged as the first Cooku with Comali winner.
Uma Riyaz Khan finished as the first runner-up, while Ramya Pandian and Rekha took the next positions among the finalists.
The grand finale aired on 23 February 2020.
The first season established the show’s distinctive format in which celebrity cooks were paired with Comalis who often had limited cooking knowledge, creating both difficult kitchen situations and comedy.
Cooku with Comali Season 2 Winner – Kani Thiru
Cooku with Comali Season 2 premiered on 14 November 2020, with Rakshan returning as host. Chef Damu and Chef Venkatesh Bhat continued as judges.
Television personality Kani Thiru won the second season after performing consistently throughout the cooking competition.
Actress Shakeela finished as the first runner-up. Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan was among the other leading finalists and finished behind the top two.
The grand finale aired on 14 April 2021.
Season 2 became one of the programme’s most popular editions, with several Cook-Comali combinations gaining a strong following among Tamil television viewers.
Cooku with Comali Season 3 Winner – Shrutika Arjun
The third season premiered on 22 January 2022. Rakshan once again hosted the show, while Chef Damu and Chef Venkatesh Bhat remained on the judging panel.
Actress Shrutika Arjun emerged as the Season 3 winner.
Darshan finished as the first runner-up, followed by Ammu Abhirami and Vidyullekha Raman among the leading finalists.
Season 3 had 12 celebrity cooks and continued for 54 episodes. Contestants competed in advantage rounds, immunity challenges, elimination tasks and special themed cooking rounds.
The grand finale was broadcast on 24 July 2022, when Shrutika was officially declared the champion.
Cooku with Comali Season 4 Winner – Mime Gopi
Cooku with Comali Season 4 premiered on 28 January 2023 on Star Vijay.
Rakshan continued as host, while Chef Damu and Chef Venkatesh Bhat again judged the contestants.
Actor Mime Gopi emerged as the winner of Season 4.
Actress Srushti Dange finished as the first runner-up. Vichithra secured the next position, while Sivaangi Krishnakumar was also among the leading finalists.
The grand finale aired on 30 July 2023.
Mime Gopi’s performance throughout the season helped him reach the final stage and eventually secure the Cooku with Comali trophy and winner’s cash reward.
Cooku with Comali Season 5 Winner – Priyanka Deshpande
Season 5 brought an important change to the judging panel. Chef Damu returned, while Madhampatty Rangaraj joined as a judge.
The season premiered on 27 April 2024. Rakshan continued as host, with Manimegalai also serving as a presenter during much of the season.
Popular television presenter Priyanka Deshpande emerged as the winner.
Actress Sujitha Dhanush finished as the first runner-up, while Mohammad Irfan, Pooja Venkat, Shaalin Zoya and VTV Ganesh were among the other finalists.
The grand finale was broadcast on 29 September 2024.
Priyanka received the Cooku with Comali trophy along with a cash prize after winning the final cooking competition.
Cooku with Comali Season 6 Winner – Raju Jeyamohan
Cooku with Comali Season 6 premiered on 4 May 2025.
Rakshan returned as host. The judging panel expanded, with Chef Damu and Madhampatty Rangaraj joined by Chef Koushik Shankar.
Actor and television personality Raju Jeyamohan emerged as the winner.
Actress Shabana Shajahan finished as the first runner-up. Umair Lateef and Lakshmy Ramakrishnan also reached the final stage.
The grand finale aired on 28 September 2025.
Raju received the Season 6 trophy and a ₹5 lakh cash prize. His Comali partner Ramar was also recognised during the finale.
Raju had previously gained major popularity after winning Bigg Boss Tamil Season 5, and his Cooku with Comali victory added another television reality-show title to his career.
Cooku with Comali Season 7
Cooku with Comali Season 7 premiered on 4 April 2026 with a significantly changed format.
The season is titled Cooku with Comali: Double Trouble and features celebrity couples competing together rather than the traditional format of individual celebrity cooks.
There was also a major change in hosting duties. Ma Ka Pa Anand and Shaalin Zoya became the hosts instead of Rakshan.
The judging panel includes Chef Damu, Madhampatty Rangaraj, Chef Koushik Shankar and Roja Selvamani.
The participating couples have included Aravinth Seiju and Sangeetha Sai, Gaana Vinoth and Bhagya, Mahendran and Shantha, Dravid Selvam and Raji Dravid, Kongu Manjunathan and Rajeshwari Manjunathan, Sidhu Sid and Shreya Anchan, Aranthangi Nisha and Riaz Ali, and Mano and Jameela Babu.
As of 28 August 2026, Season 7 has not officially concluded. The grand finale is scheduled to air on 30 August 2026. Therefore, its winner and runner-up should remain listed as To Be Announced until the finale result is officially broadcast.
Cooku with Comali Hosts Over the Years
Rakshan has been the host most closely associated with Cooku with Comali. He hosted the first six seasons and helped establish the programme’s combination of cooking competition and comedy.
Aranthangi Nisha co-hosted the inaugural season.
Manimegalai later appeared as a host during Season 5 alongside Rakshan.
Season 7 introduced the biggest hosting change in the show’s history, with Ma Ka Pa Anand and Shaalin Zoya taking over presentation duties.
Cooku with Comali Judges
Chef Damodharan, popularly known as Chef Damu, has remained a central part of the judging panel throughout the show.
Chef Venkatesh Bhat joined him during the first four seasons and became one of the most recognisable faces of Cooku with Comali.
From Season 5, Madhampatty Rangaraj joined Chef Damu on the judging panel.
Season 6 expanded the panel further with the addition of Chef Koushik Shankar.
Season 7 has featured Chef Damu, Madhampatty Rangaraj and Koushik Shankar along with Roja Selvamani.
Cooku with Comali Format
The main attraction of Cooku with Comali is the combination of professional cooking challenges and comedy.
Celebrity contestants, known as Cooks, are paired with comedians or entertainers called Comalis. The Comalis are generally presented as inexperienced helpers who must assist the cooks during challenges.
Episodes commonly include advantage tasks, main cooking challenges, immunity rounds and elimination rounds. Winning an advantage can provide additional time, ingredients or another benefit during the main challenge.
The judges evaluate dishes on factors such as taste, preparation, creativity and presentation.
The lowest-performing contestants can enter elimination rounds, while stronger performances can earn immunity or other advantages. This process continues until the finalists compete for the season’s title.
Season 7 modified the traditional structure by introducing celebrity couples under the Double Trouble concept while continuing to use Comalis and cooking challenges.
Final Words
Cooku with Comali has developed into one of Star Vijay’s best-known reality programmes since its debut in 2019. Its mixture of celebrity cooking and comedy gives it a format very different from conventional cooking competitions.
Vanitha Vijayakumar became the first winner, followed by Kani Thiru, Shrutika Arjun, Mime Gopi, Priyanka Deshpande and Raju Jeyamohan.
As of August 2026, Raju Jeyamohan remains the latest officially declared Cooku with Comali winner, having won Season 6 in September 2025.
Season 7 is currently at its final stage, with the grand finale scheduled for 30 August 2026. Its official winner will become the seventh name on the Cooku with Comali winners list after the finale result is announced.