CBBC shows set to get kids wriggling and voting

Digital channel CBBC is to make a 13-part food series called Gastronuts that will encourage children to stew worms, catch farts in jars and bake toenail cakes. Fronted by Stefan Gates, the presenter of BBC2's Cooking in the Danger Zone, the series aims to educate children about the way food is grown, made, shaped and marketed.

Questions that Gates and his team of junior Gastronuts will examine include "should we eat insects?", "why don't we eat turkey eggs?" and "what would happen if I didn't fart?", according to the BBC. Other promised activities include eating scorpions, cooking with a JCB and eating dog food. Gastronuts is being made by Objective, the independent producer behind Channel 4 comedy Peep Show and Derren Brown's TV output.

"Gastronuts will encourage children to dabble in the science of food and nutrition, guided by intrepid expert Stefan Gates," said the CBBC controller, Anne Gilchrist, who commissioned the show. "It's not a cookery show and it's not about recipes but it will leave no scone unturned in the search for answers to the weird questions every child has about the food on their plates."

Andrew O'Connor, the chief executive of Objective, will executive produce the show alongside CBBC's Alison Gregory. In addition, Gilchrist has also commissioned Zodiak Television-owned independent producer Diverse to make a CBBC series focusing on a search to find a leader among British children. The 10-part series Election will whittle down applicants to a shortlist of 10 children in the first episode and present a set of challenges to the candidates. The winner will be chosen in the final episode, but the means of voting has not yet been decided according to a BBC spokeswoman.

Gilchrist said: "What does it take to be popular and persuade people to vote for you - is it amazing policies or a friendly demeanour and skilful communication skills? CBBC viewers are about to find out in this exciting new series - democracy in action for six- to 12-year-olds." Election is being executive produced by Gregory for CBBC and by Matt Paice and Roy Ackerman for Diverse.

Both programmes are expected to air on CBBC later this year.