Robert Irvine: It's really interesting because I never had to go through this rigmarole of trying to prove that you can host a show, cook, deal with people and answer questions all at the same time. So to me when I mentor somebody, I tell them one simple thing: Be who you are and it will shine through. You can learn the tricks of the camera and you can learn timing, but what you cannot learn is how to be yourself. People see through cameras and televisions like it's not even funny. If you be yourself, then you'll always be successful.

You have to imagine your boyfriend, girlfriend, mom or whoever is special to you, and think you're having a conversation with them. And that's it. The rest — once you've done that a couple of times and settled down — it's just that easy. And I know when we first start in this business people will say: "Oh, there's a camera. Oh, there are four cameras." People watch you all the time. It's the same as a camera. Just don't worry about the cameras. And these folks — to be in the final three of the Food Network Star competition, it's huge. Not many people get to that point, and one of these folks is going to have a show of their own. Thankfully I'm not the one who is going to be voting on that. Because I gotta tell you, so far, it can go numerous ways. I think it's going to be a tough competition. It's anyone's game.