Twelve hopefuls arrive in Los Angeles to compete for the ultimate prize: their own show on Food Network. The finalists meet mentors Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay, who help prepare the finalists for their big debut at a Hollywood premiere party, where each contestant must prepare and present one party appetizer to Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, as well as Hollywood insiders, including E!'s Ross Mathews, who help decide which contestants have a shot at becoming a Food Network Star. One finalist's dream ends here, and the remaining 11 continue their Star journey.
A Food Network Star must be able to teach home viewers how to prepare great meals. In the Mentor Challenge, Alton Brown challenges the finalists to teach him a recipe. Then for the Star Challenge, the finalists must create a video demonstrating one of their own dishes for the home viewer. What they don't know is that Chef Alex Guarnaschelli will be playing along, trying to make the dish. After Alex is revealed to the finalists, she helps the Selection Committee decide who will be sent home.
A Food Network Star must have the knowledge and ability to adapt to any circumstance that arises. In two heats of five, the finalists bid on sabotages to saddle their competitors with, then battle it out in the kitchen, Cutthroat Kitchen style. Alton Brown runs the festivities, and the finalists' dishes are critiqued by Bobby Flay and Chef Jet Tila. The winning finalist in each heat keeps his or her winnings, while the least-successful competitor hits the road.
Get a sneak peek of the new season of Food Network Star, where 12 finalists battle it out in Food Network's biggest talent competition of the summer. Some will soar, some will fall, but only one will be the next Food Network Star. Premieres Sunday, June 1 at 9|8c.
In the first half of the premiere episode, hosts Damaris Phillips and Geoffrey Zakarian challenge the rivals to put their personalities on pizzas — and make sure their pies reflect their points of view.
Each finalist is tasked with creating a product that represents his or her unique brand and culinary style. After receiving feedback from the judges, each finalist makes a commercial for his or her product in an unorthodox setting.
The finalists are challenged with creating dishes that represent them, and each finalist must describe his or her dish to guests at a pool party at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The Selection Committee decides who did the best overall and sends one finalist home.
As Las Vegas is all about one-of-a-kind experiences, the finalists are divided into two teams, and each must create a memorable dining experience for the Selection Committee along with special guest Penn Jillette. The team voted least successful lands in the bottom three.
Testing their abilities to think on their feet and react to any situation thrown at them, the finalists are tasked with solving a culinary problem for a Rachael Ray viewer. They must each create a dish that addresses the viewer's problem, then perform a demo of the dish on The Rachael Ray Show. The Selection Committee watches the action backstage and determines who will continue.
The final four contestants each shoot a promo for the show they want on Food Network while being coached by Alton Brown, Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis. Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson are back to pick the final three, who will make pilots for their shows, which are directed by the toughest star on the network: Robert Irvine! After the episode airs, viewers will be able to vote online and via phone to determine who wins the ultimate prize at next week's finale.
The results are in! America has voted to determine who will be the next Food Network Star. Before the winner is revealed, all of the finalists are back in the studio to tell all and view never-before-seen footage from the season. Bobby Flay, Alton Brown and Giada De Laurentiis each share their favorite moments during an emotional look back at the final three's journey to the finale. Then, suspense rises as the time comes to reveal who will walk away as the new Food Network Star.