Michelle Obama to star with puppets in new Netflix cooking show

'Kids will love it, but I know that adults will also get plenty of laughs,' says former first lady

Former first lady Michelle Obama will star in a family-friendly cooking show for Netflix, alongside a pair of puppets.

The new programme, called Waffles + Mochi, will launch on the streaming service on 16 March and aims to teach children about healthy eating.

Ms Obama announced the 10-episode series via her Instagram account on Tuesday, writing that it will be “all about good food: discovering it, cooking it, and of course, eating it”.

A synopsis released by Netflix states that the show will focus on two best puppet friends, Waffles and Mochi, who after being hired as “employees of a whimsical supermarket”, travel to kitchens around the world with the help of a “magical flying shopping cart”.

The puppets will be joined in the 20-minute episodes by “renowned chefs, home cooks, kids and celebrities”, while Ms Obama will feature as a series regular in appearances as the supermarket manager.

Mochi is a small pink round puppet, resembling the Japanese rice cake, while Waffles is a bigger furry creature with waffles as ears.

“Kids will love it, but I know that adults will also get plenty of laughs – and some tips for the kitchen,” the former first lady wrote about the show on Tuesday.

“In many ways, this show is an extension of my work to support children’s health as first lady – and to be quite honest, I wish a programme like this had been around when my girls were young,” she added.

During her time as first lady, Ms Obama led the public health campaign, Let’s Move!, which aimed to reduce the levels of childhood obesity in children and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Waffles + Mochi is produced by Ms Obama’s production company, Higher Ground Productions, which she owns with her husband, former President Barack Obama.

The programme is part of a multi-year agreement with Netflix that was signed by the couple in 2018. They released the documentary Becoming in 2020 that followed Ms Obama on a 34-stop book tour.

In addition to her role on Waffles + Mochi, the former first lady is also the host of The Michelle Obama Podcast on Spotify.