Writer and musician Aadip Desai never learned to cook for himself because his mother or wife always prepared meals for him. Now that he's a new father, however, this longtime vegetarian wants to ditch his past habit of concocting recipes with disparate ingredients and contribute to household cooking to help his family.
Alex Stein (Los Angeles)
A notoriously fearless eater who's been known to down hot sauce straight-up and face off in speed-eating contests, Alex Stein eats only at fast-food restaurants and believes that his stomach can tolerate just about anything. He's hoping that Boot Camp will give him the tools to create home-cooked meals that will wow his family and impress the ladies.
Alina Bolshakova (Los Angeles)
Alina Bolshakova is a Latvian native and professional caretaker who's eager to cook comforting, nourishing meals for the elderly man she cares for. She hopes that being on Worst Cooks will give her the culinary confidence to entertain for her family and friends.
Carrie Lee Riggins (New York)
While professional ballet dancer Carrie Lee is known for gracefully pirouetting across the stage in front of thousands of people, she is petrified to stand behind a stove and often gets injured each time she attempts to cook. She eats breakfast, lunch and dinner in restaurants and has even deemed her oven a second closet. She hopes to strive for the same level of perfectionism in cooking that she pursues in dancing.
Carla Johnson (Long Beach, Calif.)
By using excessive amounts of salt and seasonings in each meal she makes, Carla Johnson has developed her signature style of cooking called "Fake & Baking," and has even been known to pass off store-bought frozen meals as her own. She's recently become engaged for the second time to her ex-husband and hopes that she'll come away from Boot Camp with the skills to feed her family and make the marriage work.
Chet Pourciau (New Orleans)
Born and raised in New Orleans, Chet craves classic Cajun dishes but struggles to pull off meals from his grandmother's recipe book. He's an interior designer who knows how to set a beautifully adorned table and now wants to learn to cook delicious food to fill it. He's hoping to overcome his fear of the knives and start contributing to mealtime preparations in the kitchen with his partner.
Crystal Lonneberg (Weehawken, N.J.)
Growing up, Crystal Lonneberg knew no such thing as a home-cooked meal as her on-the-go parents most often served noodles and frozen chicken nuggets. Today she's an artist who relies on take-out as her main food source. Among her friends, she's referred to as the "queen of nuggets" because she works in these dinosaur-shaped bites to everything from salad to pasta. She's ready to abandon her childish eating habits and embrace adult food.
Diana De Rosa (Huntington, N.Y.)
Although she grew up in a home that celebrated from-scratch meals, Diana De Rosa is a photographer and health fanatic currently subsisting on nuts, Greek yogurt and protein shakes because time in the kitchen leads to burned food and messes. She hopes that after Boot Camp, she'll have learned the tools to master the kitchen once and for all.
Dr. Bob Schaefer (Pleasant Hill, Calif.)
Dr. Bob and his wife, Charlene, have been married for almost 40 years, and during their entire marriage, she has cooked nearly all of the family's meals. Their children are no longer living at home, and Dr. Bob is finally ready to try his hand in the kitchen.
Michael Haydin (Rye Brook, N.Y.)
Although he's an accountant by day, Michael Haydin can hardly follow a simple recipe and even struggles to successfully navigate the grocery store. He's never learned to cook because he's always lived with either his mother or wife, who has taken to preparing meals for him. Michael's hoping that a stint in Boot Camp will teach him the basic tools to keep up with his wife's large food-loving Italian family.
Michael "Big Mike" Paul (Thomson, Ga.)
For powerlifter Big Mike, even cooking a bag of popcorn is a challenge. This self-described "people-pleaser" is a mama's boy, and although he's eager to move into his own home, he's worried that he'll eat at restaurants for every meal. He's hoping this competition will give him the tools he needs to become more self-sufficient in the kitchen so that he can live independently.
Rasheeda Brown (Maryland)
A self-proclaimed diva, Rasheeda Brown is a no-nonsense corrections office and one of twin sisters. She's notorious for either severely overcooking or undercooking food and even manages to burn frozen pizza in the microwave. Rasheeda is ready to stop relying on her sister's cooking for her — and her dates — and realize how exciting cooking can be.
Suzanne Mangogna (Northport, N.Y.)
Single mom Suzanne Mangogna is eager to introduce her son to wholesome home-cooked meals because he's currently accustomed to merely canned products and take-out food. She's been known to claim restaurant-made dishes as her own and has even made friends ill over what she's cooked. Sue is finally ready to get down to business in Boot Camp and learn how to successfully prepare meals by herself.
Tim Burger (Newport, R.I.)
For Marine vet Tim Burger, learning how to cook is important for not just his own life but his wife and their 4-year-old twins. He hopes that cooking from-scratch meals at home will help keep the family finances in check and instill in his daughters a love of food and appreciation of how it's made.
