Connie "Lovely" Jackson is a finalist on Season 9 of Food Network Star.

Connie "Lovely" Jackson, 27 (Los Angeles), was born and raised in Chicago and was doted on as the baby of her family, earning her the nickname "Lovely." She learned to cook by helping her mom in the kitchen, and went on to attend culinary school and earn three degrees — her most-advanced degree is a bachelor's in culinary management at the Illinois Institute of Art. Lovely is truly glam, working with diamond-encrusted knives and edible diamonds as a private chef for celebrities and professional athletes.