Worst Cooks in America, Season 5: Meet the Recruits

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Amber Brauner (Redlands, Calif.)

Single mom Amber would rather ink it up at the tattoo parlor where she works than stink it up in the kitchen. Her four kids can handle cooking for themselves, but they're worried that if their mother doesn't learn how to cook, she will never find a husband and end up alone when they move out.

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Benjamin "Benji" Hunter Brown III (Nashville)

Live music booker Benji recently turned 30, but he has the finicky food tastes of a 5-year-old. His diet of chicken nuggets and fast food has led to weight gain and high blood pressure. His sister is concerned and wants Benji to change his eating habits and get on a healthy track.

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Carie Pullano-Keller (Chester, Va.)

Carie is a promotional model but won't be advertising any kitchen gadgets until she can get her act together. Carie's husband was recently laid off, and the cost of ordering in is taking a toll on their finances. Carie needs to prove to her family that she is capable of cooking a delicious meal.

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Carol Holder (New York City)

Carol is a successful luxury Realtor who sells million-dollar apartments with state-of-the-art kitchens, but she admits kitchens are a strange land for her. She has sophisticated taste, but she would rather let her husband and housekeeper take care of the food.

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Casey Pentony (Los Angeles)

Casey is a nurse who can save people's lives, but she can't feed them so well. She has mastered measuring medicine at the hospital, but she doesn't know a cup from a tablespoon in the kitchen. Her diet is limited to frozen meals and crackers, and she is terrified of fish.

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Daniel Beyda (Hewlett Harbor, N.Y.)

Radiologist and family man Daniel is a disaster in the kitchen, and his wife isn't much of a cook either. For the sake of their three kids, Daniel is determined to improve his food skills.

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Danielle Ruiz-Wiley (Staten Island, N.Y.)

Danielle is a dedicated full-time mother and wife whose kitchen phobia is impacting her family. When she steps into the kitchen, her nerves take over and she quickly becomes frustrated. She and her family eat out so often that the local restaurants know their orders by heart.

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Jamie Thomas (New York City)

Jamie's career as a flight attendant has exposed him to authentic cuisines from around the world, but his cooking is still lacking. He needs to expand his culinary repertoire beyond sticks of butter, cold cereal and the microwave.

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Joe Slaughter (Los Angeles)

Joe moved from Chicago to Los Angeles for a career in show business and is a professional dancer/model/actor, but his skill set does not expand to the kitchen. His family won't stop worrying about him until he learns to take care of himself and make a proper meal.

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Ken Hsu (Seattle)

Personal trainer Ken is a fitness fanatic who knows healthy eating is important for his clients, but he sometimes doesn't practice what he preaches. He often indulges in Frito Pies and fast food. But Ken is adventurous and willing to try new things.

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Lance Green (New York City)

Lance is an audio engineer and music producer/writer, but he also stays home part-time with his son, for whom he cooks a special gluten-free diet. He knows he must learn to cook healthy food for himself, as well, so that he can live healthier.

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Mike Glazer (Los Angeles)

Writer/comedian Mike is a disaster when cooking with oil — an incident at his mother's house set the kitchen curtains on fire. His girlfriend often works 60-hour weeks, and he hopes to be able to make her delicious home-cooked meals in the future.

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Muneerah Warner (Philadelphia)

As an abstinence advocate, Muneerah is saving herself for marriage but worries if she doesn't learn how to cook, she will never settle down with a man. She is tired of lying to her dates and telling them she can cook.

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Stephanie St. Aubin (Bowie, Md.)

Stephanie works for the federal government but still lives at home with her mother. She loves attention and isn't afraid to flaunt her looks, but her skills in the kitchen are anything but pretty. Her go-to kitchen utensils are her cell phone and credit card so she can order takeout.