Selena cooks up fun and donations

Fun times and charitable donations are just a couple of the ingredients that make up Selena Gomez’s cooking show. And with $360,000 raised for 23 organizations across its first two seasons, the HBO Max series “Selena + Chef” has been extra sweet for the singer-actress, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“When we first started discussing the show, this was the most important aspect to me,” Gomez told THR in a new interview. “Whenever I agree to come on board with a brand partner, I always make sure there is a charity aspect to the deal.”

“Selena + Chef” debuted last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Gomez, 28, learning how to cook a variety of foods at home through remote instructions from expert chefs.

The “Rare” singer was intrigued by the concept of viewers getting to hone their abilities as she learned to cook different dishes.

“Cooking [shows seem] to cross demos, and people find them very calming,” Gomez told THR. “That’s been really interesting to hear, I have to say.”

Gomez is in the midst of a big year. In addition to shooting the third season of “Selena + Chef,” Gomez has the animated movie “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” out July 23, and the new Hulu comedy series “Only Murders in the Building” out Aug. 31.

In her new interview, she shared that a culinary career would have been her dream if she hadn’t gone into music and acting.

“I’d always answer, ‘I’d be a chef,’” Gomez said. Peter Sblendorio