Meet the '100 Cooks' Competing for a Chance at $250,000

There may be no one better at commanding a stage with charisma and grace than former Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host and current host of the America’s Got Talent franchise Terry Crews, who brings his big-time hosting chops to the all-new Food Network show 100 Cooks.

In this unpredictable competition, Terry welcomes 100 of America’s elite home cooks to one of the largest culinary showdowns in TV history, where they’ll be randomly selected to face challenges ranging from fast-paced food trivia contests to full-on 30-minute cooking battles.

In the end, 99 cooks will be eliminated and only one will be left standing, taking home the largest cash prize in the network’s history — as much as $250,000.

Our two judges for 100 Cooks need no introduction, but we’ll give them one anyway.

A Food Network staple for nearly two decades since competing on Food Network Challenge in 2006, James Beard-nominated executive chef and culinary icon Alex Guarnaschelli has become one of the most trusted and battle-tested voices on the network, appearing in more than 600 episodes across her career. As a recurring judge on Chopped, the host of Supermarket Stakeout and the star of Alex vs. America, there are few people more qualified than Alex to judge a competition of this scale.

Standing opposite chef Guarnaschelli is YouTube superstar chef and Harvard graduate Nick DiGiovanni, who has quickly become one of the most recognizable figures in the culinary world, amassing more than 50 million followers across social media platforms. The celebrity chef, cookbook author, Food Network Hot List 2026 honoree and social media powerhouse brings his signature energy and massive digital reach to the judges' table, forcing competitors to step up their game or risk elimination.

Now, meet the home cooks looking to impress the judges and win the grand prize.

#100 — Mike Martin: Mike brings healthy global cuisine shaped by Mexican heritage and Italian family influence to the competition, giving the content creator a style that balances wellness, comfort and big flavor.

#99 — Kyra Hungerford: Kyra, a sports dietitian, brings elite wellness expertise to health-focused, protein-packed dishes inspired by global flavors and clean ingredients.

#98 — Hannah Baxter: Hannah, a makeup artist, specializes in Italian cuisine, bringing family tradition to the competition through pasta made from her mother’s and grandmother’s recipes.

#97 — Eric Bridges: Eric channels his BBQ restaurant roots into Southern modern cuisine with European fusion, giving the sales account manager a smoky foundation and an elevated point of view.

#96 — Gerry Glenn: Homestyle family cooking gets an Asian-fusion twist from Gerry, an elevator constructor and Army veteran who brings structure, presentation and personality to his dishes.

#95 — Holley Francis: Holley brings Southern comfort cooking with Italian influence to the competition. The inside sales advisor also works Mexican, French and Asian flavors into her dishes.

#94 — Susie Weinrich: Susie keeps American comfort food at the center of her culinary universe, as the content creator is known for her enchilada casserole, Italian sausage meatballs and grilled salmon.

#93 — Troy Garner: Troy, a stay-at-home dad, specializes in American comfort food, making fried chicken and grits, salmon steak pasta, cheesecake and quiche.

#92 — Tarun Sinha: Taco Bell obsession meets Indian cooking in Tarun’s kitchen, where the patent examiner uses fast-food re-creations and global techniques to create something personal and unexpected.

#91 — Soo Naert: Soo, an oncology nurse, specializes in Korean cuisine, turning out kimchi udon, homemade bulgogi sauce and vegetable pancakes.

#90 — Lauren LeBlanc: Lauren brings traditional New Orleans-style Southern cooking to the competition; the physician assistant and food blogger is known for gumbo inspired by her Louisiana roots.

#89 — Matt Goodman: Matt may be known for barbecue, but the construction grader has a much wider playbook, specializing in pastas, tacos, butter chicken, shakshuka and smoked cheesecake.

#88 — Arya Fakhimi: Arya turns Italian, Mexican and Persian cuisine into elevated comfort food, with the operations manager bringing adaptability to dishes that feel familiar but polished.

#87 — Clarice “Rece” Eze: Rece, a digital content operations manager, balances Nigerian cuisine and American comfort food, cooking everything from jollof rice to porterhouse steaks.

#86 — Thomas Sullivan: Thomas brings modern Midwest cooking into a much wider world, as the content creator layers Peruvian, Italian, Greek and Mexican influences into his food.

#85 — Elyse Borchardt: Elyse, who works in risk management, brings maximalist style, humor and bold, balanced flavor to Southern classic comfort food.

#84 — Kim Alexander: Kim, a content creator and former hairstylist, brings bold Jamaican flavor to Caribbean cooking filled with island comfort and personality.

#83 — Nick Altieri: Firefighter Nick cooks with the confidence of someone used to feeding a hungry firehouse, specializing in Italian cuisine and favorites like porchetta, ossobuco, tacos and grilled shrimp.

#82 — Christopher Dorrah: Chris describes his cooking as sexy food with a Southern twist. The content creator backs it up with fresh pasta, jerk chicken, shrimp and grits, and sweet potato pie.

#81 — Michele Monroe: Michele, a transition teacher, brings together pitmaster skills and baking expertise with farm-to-table dishes inspired by international flavors.

#80 — Marissa Mejia Panis: Mexican cooking shaped Marissa’s early culinary style, but the store director now explores German, Vietnamese, Italian and other global flavors.

#79 — Thomas Meyer: Wild-caught game, seafood and outdoor meals define Thomas’ culinary style, giving the land management director a distinct hunter-and-fisherman’s point of view.

#78 — Jacob Knight: Jacob, an underwriting technician, brings Southern and Filipino family traditions together in heartfelt home cooking rooted in memory, comfort and connection.

#77 — Nicholas Perrone: Nicholas is most at home around the grill. The manager specializes in outdoor cooking, grilled meats and hearty American comfort food.

#76 — Rachel Feeney: Rachel, a stay-at-home mom, brings her Maryland roots to the competition, with a focus on seafood, steak and desserts like lemon meringue pie.

#75 — Juan “Jeezil” Givens Jr.: Jeezil, a medical device sales representative, brings modern American soul food to the table with specialties like seafood pasta, shrimp and grits, and chicken and waffles.

#74 — Emily Teuscher: Medieval-style comfort food helps set Emily apart, with the content creator mixing hearty meats, potatoes, Pacific Northwest influence and fantasy-inspired cooking.

#73 — Andrew Gonzalez: Outdoor grilling is Andrew’s zone; the content creator brings South American and Mexican influence to fire-driven cooking.

#72 — Glen Kvadus: Glen, a chief growth officer, leans into New England cuisine with specialties like lobster ravioli, pan-seared scallops, baked goods and fresh pastas.

#71 — Melanie Cagle: Melanie, a food blogger and photographer, brings a British eye for presentation to Cajun-inspired cooking, leaning into bold spices and wild ingredients.

#70 — Bill Roberts: A former professional percussionist and music teacher, Bill is a proud stay-at-home dad and total video game nerd who views cooking as his absolute love language. Born in Madrid, Spain, and raised in Switzerland, he specializes in a multicultural "hodgepodge" of global cooking styles that uniquely blend traditional Italian, Spanish and European influences.

#69 — Kim Sherry: Kim brings Alaskan roots to elevated Asian- and Italian-inspired dishes. The pet portrait artist stands out for creative comfort food like her signature moose burger.

#68 — Ciria Gibbons: Mexican cuisine is the focal point for Ciria, a former early childhood education teacher who brings versatility across world cooking.

#67 — Jackie Vitiello: Jackie, an outside sales representative, specializes in Italian cuisine, including eggplant Parmesan and flavor-packed fish dishes.

#66 — Douglas Chau: Douglas brings a software engineer’s creativity to Asian-influenced world cuisine, making the cook stand out for his signature kimchi bolognese.

#65 — Sheyna Patel: Indian fusion is Sheyna’s specialty, though the college student and sales coordinator also cooks American comfort food and Italian, Asian and Mexican dishes.

#64 — Lisa Gilmore: Lisa, a retired grandmother, brings warmth and practicality to the competition with approachable home cooking and Americanized Filipino dishes like chicken adobo and lugaw.

#63 — Alexia Digiglio Mancini: Alexia, a travel food blogger, brings New England and Italian cuisine to the table with pizza, calzones, chicken cutlets and linguine.

#62 — Charly Hang: A hairstylist, Charly elevates Cambodian cuisine with Spanish and Asian influences, bringing creativity and a deeply personal cultural point of view to the competition.

#61 — George Deacon: George, a set dresser, brings an artist’s eye to the kitchen, blending Americana inspiration with masterfully seared steaks and traditional Japanese and Italian cooking techniques.

#60 — Cody Spaulding: Cody, a sergeant, paramedic and firefighter, brings fast, adaptable firehouse cooking to dishes like birria tacos, burgers, eggs Benedict, lasagna and chili.

#59 — Sherry Sabbagh: Sherry gives modern Middle Eastern cuisine a fresh twist. The stay-at-home mom specializes in comforting one-pot stews and Lebanese dishes.

#58 — Brian Mellott: Brian brings global fusion Southern comfort food to the competition, as the substitute teacher and photographer grounds his dishes in Southern flavor and cultural influence.

#57 — Evie Hernandez: Evie, a content creator, is a versatile Mexican-American cook who moves between Mexican, Italian, American comfort food and Asian dishes.

#56 — Jeff McCoy: Scratch-made pasta and Sunday family dinners inspire Jeff, an IT recruiter who specializes in Italian cuisine with French influence.

#55 — Brianna Conley: Brianna, a stay-at-home mom, specializes in modern American cooking with global influence, focusing on dishes like gumbo, shrimp tacos and chicken pasta.

#54 — Sruly Meyer: Sruly specializes in Jewish cuisine, but the marketing consultant also studies and executes dishes from around the world.

#53 — Tani Belliston: Tani, a news station motion graphics designer and married mother of two, brings her Hawaii roots to versatile Hawaiian and Asian comfort recipes, from shoyu chicken, pipikaula and pulehu steak to handmade dumplings and comforting bowls of ramen.

#52 — Bella Castillo: Greek and Mexican heritage shape Bella’s cooking; the creative content manager blends Latin, Mediterranean and modern American comfort dishes.

#51 — Josh Williams: Josh, a lead pastor, brings his homesteading experience to meat-centric American classics and hearty comfort food.

#50 — CJ Volkmann: CJ, a loan manager, turned his love for cooking into a massive YouTube channel. This married "grill master" and father of five is a total open-fire fan, specializing in heavily seasoned American barbecue integrated with rich, Southern California Mexican profiles and fresh homemade pasta.

#49 — Asa Glass: Kentucky comfort food anchors Asa’s cooking, though the special education teacher also takes on Italian and Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala.

#48 — Raphi Silv: Raphi is a full-time content creator who specializes in Brazilian cuisine, cooking rice, beans, farofa, pão de queijo and richly seasoned mains rooted in the flavors she knows best.

#47 — Priya Lakshminarayan: Priya is a cookbook author and the creator of Cookilicious, an award-winning vegetarian and vegan food platform, sharing approachable Indian recipes inspired by her heritage and love for home cooking.

#46 — Steel Russell: A former pro baseball player and reality TV podcaster, Steel brings a healthy mindset to world cuisine while still embracing hearty comfort dishes.

#45 — Fariyal Bhatti: Pakistani cooking leads the way for Fariyal, an architectural project manager who also draws from Italian and Asian cuisine to build dishes with layered flavor.

#44 — Johnnie Vassar: Professional basketball player Johnnie brings his competitive fire to New American cooking, blending it with Asian influence and specializing in dishes like miso-glazed salmon and oxtail jerk pasta.

#43 — Eduardo Herrera: Eduardo, a content creator, brings personality to his Mexican fusion cooking with seafood, tacos, guacamole, street dogs, tortas and grilled guilty pleasures.

#42 — Christine Lee: Korean cuisine leads the way for Christine, a stay-at-home mom who also pulls from global techniques and Southern cooking traditions.

#41 — Zach Bates: Big-family holiday dishes inspire Zach, a real estate agent who specializes in modern American comfort food built around abundance and familiarity.

#40 — Gigi Ashworth: Known as the Salmon Queen, cookbook author Gigi brings French and Mediterranean cooking together with Latin American and Asian influences for a polished, seafood-forward style.

#39 — Bryce Stubbs: Bryce, an oil field worker, builds his cooking around wild-caught game, seafood, Mexican ingredients and Western American staples, giving him a rugged outdoorsman's style.

#38 — Amy Decker: A former CIA officer who ran worldwide operations, Amy brings tactical focus to contemporary American and traditional Italian cooking, including baking, fresh pasta and seafood.

#37 — Jacques-Elie Pierre: Jacques-Elie, a mechanical designer, brings Haitian-Bahamian flavor to the couple's island-inspired cooking, with a focus on seafood local to the Bahamas.

#36 — Leanna Pierre: Leanna, a lawyer, brings her Barbadian roots to Caribbean cooking as one half of a husband-and-wife duo that loves feeding family and friends.

#35 — Eileen Kelly: Married with five children, writer and content creator Eileen Kelly specializes in approachable, family-friendly recipes.

#34 — Maxine Chikumbo: African fusion cooking drives Maxine, an engagement strategist whose kitchen also pulls from global influences through dishes like meat pies and whole fish packed with bold flavor.

#33 — Chris Joe: Modern Chinese cooking is Chris’ specialty, as the former finance manager focuses on noodles, wontons, Korean fried chicken and crispy pork belly.

#32 — Matthew Rubin: Matthew gravitates toward Eastern and Southern Asian cuisines, as the college student builds healthy, protein-forward meals and smart ingredient swaps.

#31 — Melanie Pelaez: Cuban and Hispanic family traditions shape Melanie’s cooking, with the stay-at-home mom leaning on sofrito, garlic and classic Cuban flavor.

#30 — Nupur Mehta: Indian dishes are Nupur’s calling card, but the chief medical officer also cooks Korean, Italian, Mediterranean and modern American cuisine.

#29 — Marcus Wilson: BBQ is the foundation for Marcus, a cybersecurity consultant who layers Southern, Mexican, Italian and Caribbean influences into his cooking.

#28 — Ana Nelson: Traditional Mexican cooking is Ana’s lane, as the content creator is known for her colorful enchiladas, tacos and family-style flavor.

#27 — Alex Phillips: When he is not working in the OR, surgical tech Alex is making Italian comfort dishes inspired by his upbringing, from pasta and lasagna to fresh fish.

#26 — Andrea Russett: OG YouTube star and singer Andrea brings an Italian twist to health-focused cooking, specializing in pastas, pizzas and plenty of garlic.

#25 — Lorenzo “Zo” Espada: Zo keeps his cooking approachable, Southern and seafood-packed, as the content creator builds Carolina-style recipes around crab, pasta and lots of seasoning. He is also a member of Food Network's 2026 Hot List.

#24 — Danielle Caminiti: Italian-American cooking is the heart of Danielle’s kitchen, where the lawyer builds meals around pastas, pizzas, spare ribs and Sunday family traditions.

#23 — Sophia Russell: Daughter of No. 22 Scott, Sophia works in produce procurement, which makes sense for a cook who loves fresh ingredients, Italian dishes and re-creating restaurant meals at home.

#22 — Scott Russell: A retired banker, Scott cooks with a scientific and intuitive style, drawing inspiration from Italian, Greek and Indian dishes.

#21 — Matthew Han: A second-generation Korean-American home cook, Matthew works as a project manager for a space program by day and specializes in Korean BBQ by night.

#20 — Nikki Apostolou: Comfort food gets a Native twist from Nikki, a model who builds nourishing dishes around Native ingredients, family tradition and deeply personal flavor.

#19 — Angel Gutierrez: Texas barbecue meets Mexican cuisine in Angel’s kitchen, where the automotive business consultant churns out beef rib street tacos, Texas Twinkies and smoked salmon.

#18 — Aria Christian: Aria, a content creator, brings the Italian side of sweets-forward brand Twins That Cook to the competition, specializing in dishes like her signature clam pasta.

#17 — Maya Christian: One half of Twins That Cook, Maya is a content creator who shines in Asian cuisine, from flavorful stir-fries to comforting rice dishes.

#16 — Mark Canha: Professional baseball player Mark brings Italian food and grilled American classics to the competition, as the free agent trades in ballparks for the kitchen.

#15 — Brooke Esposito: High-protein, whole-food cooking defines Brooke’s culinary style, with the Pilates instructor and nutritionist drawing from her Greek, Jewish and Italian family roots.

#14 — Keloni Kamalani: Hawaiian cuisine and BBQ inspire Keloni’s cooking, with the former firefighter rooting his dishes in island tradition, community and family recipes.

#13 — Jordan Ngatikaura: Jordan, a reality star from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is a self-proclaimed amazing home cook who specializes in Asian, Italian and BBQ cuisine.

#12 — Gena Je Jefferson: Louisiana-style comfort food is the sweet spot for Gena, a certified medical assistant known for seafood, shrimp and grits, and Cajun favorites.

#11 — Kayla Zenner: Farm-to-table is not a trend for Kayla; it is part of everyday life for the farmer and gardener who relies on homegrown ingredients and hearty family meals.

#10 — Liz Della Croce: Liz, a Syrian-Jewish food blogger, celebrates fresh Mediterranean flavors, Middle Eastern influences and globally inspired home cooking.

#9 — Manny Washington Jr.: Manny brings down-home comfort food to the kitchen, with the firefighter specializing in burgers, Cuban sandwiches, mac and cheese, and hearty meals built to feed a crew.

#8 — Justin LaCalamita: Open-fire cooking is a favorite for Justin, a VFX supervisor whose home-cook range runs from Cuban black beans to ravioli and pork belly.

#7 — Alexandria Jack: A content creator and food writer, Alexandria specializes in Country, Creole and Cajun cuisine with African and Asian influences rooted in her Southern upbringing.

#6 — Yvette Marquez: Traditional Mexican recipes passed down from her grandmother guide Yvette, a cookbook author with a deep connection to family and heritage.

#5 — Matt Santos: Filipino roots anchor Matt’s cooking, but the family medicine resident also pulls from Southeast Asian, contemporary American, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Latin American flavors.

#4 — Connor Bloch: Connor studies economics and statistics while specializing in modern French and Italian cooking, scratch-made pasta and sauces.

#3 — Maria Carrillo: Maria, a first-generation American from Guatemala, comes from a long line of home cooks and specializes in Latin fusion with bold traditional flavors, Asian influences and Italian inspiration.

#2 — Antoinette Gangi: Antoinette, a real estate agent and Jersey Italian grandma, keeps six decades of family cooking alive with beloved meatballs, zuppa di pesce and hearty pasta dishes inspired by her Naples roots.

#1 — Justin Rowland: A school counselor, Justin specializes in outdoor cooking, making Maryland seafood and good old-fashioned American comfort food with ingredients from around the world.

One hundred home cooks entered. Ninety-nine will be were sent home.

As the Cook Mixer kept spinning and the challenges kept coming, only one competitor survived the biggest and most unpredictable cooking competition ever attempted.

Binge watch the full season of 100 Cooks on HBO Max and discovery+, or keep scrolling to see who took home the glory and the grand prize.