Worst Cooks in America: Difference between revisions

*Worst Cooks in America*
Worst Cooks in America
Genre	Reality television; Cooking show;
Judges	Anne Burrell (season 1–present); Beau MacMillan (season 1); Robert Irvine (season 2); Bobby Flay (season 3–5); Tyler Florence (season 6, 8, 12); Rachael Ray (season 7, 9–11);
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	11
No. of episodes	39
Production
Executive producers	Bob Kirsh; Nicola Moody; Pip Wells;
Production locations	Los Angeles, California and New York City
Running time	42 Minutes
Production company	Optomen Productions, Inc.
Original release
Network	Food Network
Release	January 3, 2010 –; present

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Revision as of 06:52, 20 December 2017

Worst Cooks in America is an American reality television series that premiered on January 3, 2010, on the Food Network. The show takes 12 to 16 contestants (referred to as "recruits") with very poor cooking skills through a culinary boot camp, to earn a cash prize of $25,000 and a Food Network cooking set.^[1]^[2] The recruits are trained on the various basic cooking techniques including: baking, knife skills, temperature, seasoning and preparation. The final challenge is to cook a restaurant quality three-course meal for three food critics.

History

The show premiered on January 3, 2010. The show was initially hosted by chef Anne Burrell and chef Beau MacMillan in Season 1. MacMillan was replaced by chef Robert Irvine on Season 2, followed by chef Bobby Flay for Seasons 3–5. On November 20, 2014, a Food Network press release announced that chef Tyler Florence will be paired with chef Anne Burrell to host Season 6, to debut on January 4, 2015. Burrell was the winning instructor in seasons 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 with Flay winning in Seasons 4–5. Rachael Ray and Anne Burrell hosted the Season 7 special celebrity edition, which premiered September 23, 2015. During the finale of Season 7, a trailer previewing Season 8 was shown and was aired in January 2016 with the return of Tyler Florence.

Season 1: 2010

Chefs Beau MacMillan and Anne Burrell lead an intense culinary boot camp. They have six recruits each, and every week they must eliminate one recruit from each of their teams until there is only one from each team left. The final two create a three-course meal to fool a panel of restaurant critics into believing that the meal was created by the acclaimed chefs.

Recruits

Twelve chefs competed in the first season of Worst Cooks in America. Hometowns and occupations are available from the Food Network website.^[3]^[4] Chef Anne's team was known as the Red Team and Chef Beau's team was known as the Blue Team.

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status
Rachel Coleman	23	Brooklyn, New York	Marketing Website editor	Winner February 1
Jennifer "Jenny" Cross	21	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Waitress	Runner-up February 1
Jennifer "Jen" Vecchio	38	Cumberland, Rhode Island	Dance Studio Owner	Eliminated January 31
Eddie Chang	32	Jersey City, New Jersey	IT project manager	Eliminated January 31
Marque Hernandez	41	Brea, California	Director of Clinical Operations	Eliminated January 24
Rebecca Hooper	43	Sandy, Utah	Salon Owner	Eliminated January 24
Sophia Gettys	27	Aurora, Colorado	Stay-at-home Mom	Eliminated January 17
Susie Shoman	53	Georgetown, South Carolina	Grants administrator and entrepreneur	Eliminated January 17
Kelly Johnson	31	Scottsdale, Arizona	Corporate litigation attorney	Eliminated January 10
David Summey	29	Charlotte, North Carolina	Salesman	Eliminated January 10
Wilhelmina Josephine	29	Aliso Viejo, California	Insurance claims adjuster	Eliminated January 3
Hamed Hamad	24	North Hollywood, California	Journalist and fashion consultant	Eliminated January 3

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2	3		4		5	6
1	Rachel	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	WINNER
2	Jenny*	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Jen	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	OUT
4	Eddie	BTM	WIN	BTM	BTM	IN	WIN	OUT
5	Marque	WIN	WIN	BTM	BTM	IN	OUT
6	Rebecca	WIN	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
7	Sophia*	IN	IN	IN	OUT
8	Susie	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
9	Kelly	IN	OUT
10	David	BTM	OUT
11	Wilhelmina	OUT
12	Hamed	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge and was considered the winner.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge, but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.; * Initially a member of the other team but switched after Chef Beau won the bet on whose team member made the best crepes.

Season 2: 2011

Casting for season 2 of Worst Cooks in America was held at the LA Marriott Burbank Airport, Hotel & Convention Center on March 27, 2010.^[5] The Food Network also began accepting online video applications for season 2.^[6] Food Network's website announced that Robert Irvine would replace Beau MacMillan for season 2. Season 2 debuted on January 2, 2011.^[7] In this season the chefs had eight recruits each.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status
Joshie Berger	36	Brooklyn, New York	Attorney	Winner February 20
Georgann "Georg" Coleman	38	Chicago, Illinois	Speech pathologist	Runner-up February 20
Carlos Manuel	28	Atlanta, Georgia	Banker	Eliminated February 13
Kelsey Milos	22	Kings, Illinois^{[disambiguation needed]}	Hair stylist	Eliminated February 13
Kat Rose	37	Newnan, Georgia	Stay-at-home mother	Eliminated February 6
Tyrone "Ty" Miller	33	Trenton, New Jersey	Property manager	Eliminated February 6
Jennifer "Jen" MacLean	43	Sparta, New Jersey	Operating room nurse	Eliminated January 30
Kelly Gray	32	New York, New York	Aerobics instructor	Eliminated January 30
Erika Rumsey	27	Elgin, Illinois	Account manager	Eliminated January 23
Anna Altomari	44	Aliso Viejo, California	RN Case manager	Eliminated January 23
Priscilla Harden	60	Sugar Land, Texas	Retired teacher	Eliminated January 16
Matt Crespi	24	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	PhD Student	Eliminated January 16
Anthony Scinto	32	Crestwood, Illinois	Mechanical engineer	Eliminated January 9
Jeff Longcor	25	Somerville, Massachusetts	Environmental contractor	Eliminated January 9
Lina Yu	28	Arcadia, California	Production manager	Eliminated January 2
Eric Ricupero	34	Quincy, Massachusetts	Bar owner	Eliminated January 2

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	1	2		3		4		5		6		7
	Episode
1	Joshie	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	9th	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	WINNER
2	Georg	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Carlos	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	6th	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	OUT
4	Kelsey*	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	2nd	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
5	Kat*	WIN	IN	BTM	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	BTM	OUT
6	Ty	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	3rd	IN	BTM	OUT
7	Jen	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	7th	IN	OUT
8	Kelly	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	5th	WIN	OUT
9	Erika	BTM	WIN	IN	WIN	IN	8th	OUT
10	Anna	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	4th	OUT
11	Priscilla	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
12	Matt	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
13	Anthony	IN	IN	OUT
14	Jeff	IN	BTM	OUT
15	Lina	OUT
16	Eric	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge and was considered the winner.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge, but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.; * Initially a member of the other team but switched after Chef Robert won the bet on whose team member made the best burgers.

Differences between seasons 1 and 2

In the first episode, a group of selected novice cooks were to prepare a dish from scratch so the chefs would get an idea of how poor their skills were. After tasting all the items, the chefs took turns picking team members for their rival chef. The first season started off with 24 novice cooks but only the worst 12 were chosen for a team. In the second season, the first episode began with 16 amateurs and all took part for the remainder of that episode.

In the penultimate episode of the season, the remaining four recruits learned and replicated a dessert. After this, in the first season, the recruits had to instruct a group of high school students how to replicate the dessert recipe. In the second one, the recruits were assigned the dessert to serve after both chefs, and a special guest enjoyed a main dish.

After learning and replicating a dessert, the recruits had to prepare a meal for both chefs and a surprise guest, usually a spouse or other family member. The first season’s main dishes were an improved version of the recruits’ audition meal. The special guests in the second season got to choose what they wanted the students to make them.

Two recruits remained in the final episode and had to prepare an appetizer, main dish, and dessert for a panel of three food critics. The critics in season 1 thought that the final meal was prepared by the chefs until after they sampled all the courses. In season 2, the critics learned their meal was prepared by the recruits immediately after entering the restaurant.

Season 3: 2012

Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay hosted season 3.^[8]^[9]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status
Kelli Powers	40	Los Angeles, California	Stay-at-home mother	Winner April 1
Vinnie Caligiuri	47	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Mortgage broker	Runner-up April 1
Melissa Rhodes	28	Naples, Florida	Nursing Student	Eliminated March 25
David Shelton	26	Longview, Texas	Unemployed	Eliminated March 25
Tiffany Michelle	27	Los Angeles, California	Poker player and actress	Eliminated March 18
Dorothy Strouhal	38	Cove, Texas	Make-up artist	Eliminated March 18
Anthony Schiano	33	Massapequa, New York	Mechanical engineer	Eliminated March 11
Benjamin Dennis	37	Dallas, Texas	Stay-at-home father	Quit March 11
Sean "Bennett" Bennett	36	New York City	Automotive Spokesperson	Eliminated March 4
Sarina Weeraprajuk	31	West Covina, California	Wedding photographer	Eliminated March 4
Erica Weidner	53	Long Beach, New York	Court Reporter Student	Eliminated February 26
Robert "Bob" Tamke	44	Massapequa Park, New York	DJ	Eliminated February 26
Sherrill Moss-Solomon	55	New York, New York	Fundraiser	Eliminated February 19
Rachel Margolin	31	New York, New York	Night Club Promoter	Eliminated February 19
Richard Chen	55	Queens, New York	Attorney	Eliminated February 12
Libby Floyd	46	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	ShopNBC host^[10]	Eliminated February 12

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2		3		4		5		6		7		8
1	Kelli	WIN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	BTM	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Vinnie	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Melissa¹	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
4	David¹	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	IN	OUT
5	Tiffany	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
6	Dorothy	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	OUT
7	Anthony	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	OUT
8	Benjamin	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	IN	QUIT
9	Bennett	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	WIN	BTM	OUT
10	Sarina	BTM	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
11	Erica	IN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
12	Bob	IN	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
13	Sherrill	IN	BTM	OUT
14	Rachel	BTM	BTM	OUT
15	Richard	OUT
16	Libby	OUT

^Note 1 : In Episode 3, Team Bobby (blue team) won the first challenge, he therefore got to choose one person from Team Anne (red team) to go to his team, and then choose one person from his team to go to the other team. He chose David to go to Team Anne's team and chose Melissa from Team Anne's team to join his team.

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge and was considered the winner.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge, but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition; (QUIT) The contestant volunteered to quit

Season 4: 2013

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status
Alina Bolshakova	28	Riga, Latvia	Caretaker/Actress	Winner March 31
Rasheeda Brown	30	Germantown, Maryland	Correctional Officer	Runner-up March 31
Chet Pourciau	40	New Orleans, Louisiana	Interior Designer	Eliminated March 24
Suzanne "Sue" Mangogna	42	Northport, New York	Single Mother	Eliminated March 24
Carla Johnson	47	Long Beach, California	Alcohol & Drug Counselor	Eliminated March 17
Michael Haydin	25	Rye Brook, New York	Accountant	Eliminated March 17
Carrie Lee Riggins	32	Carmel, New York	Ballerina/Actress	Eliminated March 10
Crystal Lonneberg	30	Weehawken, New Jersey	Actress/Artist	Eliminated March 10
Aadip Desai	36	Sacramento, California	Writer/Musician	Eliminated March 3
Alex Stein	26	Dallas, Texas	Bail Bondsman	Eliminated March 3
Michael "Big Mike" Paul	24	Thomson, Georgia	Woodworker	Eliminated February 24
Robert "Dr. Bob" Schaefer	58	Pleasant Hill, California	Chiropractor	Eliminated February 24
Tim Burger	42	Novi, Michigan	Former Marine	Eliminated February 17
Diana De Rosa	62	Huntington, New York	Photographer	Eliminated February 17

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2		3		4		5		6		7
1	Alina	BTM	WIN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	IN	WIN	WINNER
2	Rasheeda	IN	IN	BTM	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	BTM	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Chet	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	IN	OUT
4	Sue	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	WIN	OUT
5	Carla	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	IN	BTM	BTM	WIN	OUT
6	Michael	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
7	Carrie Lee	IN	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	OUT
8	Crystal	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
9	Aadip	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
10	Alex	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
11	Mike	IN	BTM	OUT
12	Bob	BTM	BTM	OUT
13	Tim	OUT
14	Diana	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge and was considered the winner.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge, but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.

Season 5: 2014

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status
Amber Brauner	37	Redlands, California	Tattoo Artist	Winner March 31
Jamie Thomas	41	New York, New York	Flight Attendant	Runner-up March 31
Daniel "Danny" Beyda	43	Long Island, New York	Radiologist	Eliminated March 24
Mike Glazer	30	Chicago, Illinois	Writer	Eliminated March 24
Carie Pullano-Keller	34	Chester, Virginia	Promotional Model	Eliminated March 17
Stephanie St. Aubin	26	Washington, DC	Secretary	Eliminated March 17
Danielle Ruiz-Wiley	25	Staten Island, New York	Stay at Home Mom	Eliminated March 10
Carol Holder	64	New York, New York	Real Estate Broker	Eliminated March 10
Joe Slaughter	28	Los Angeles, California	Actor/Dancer	Eliminated March 3
Ken Hsu	29	Seattle, Washington	Personal Trainer	Eliminated March 3
Lance Green	31	New York, New York	Music Producer	Eliminated February 24
Benjamin "Benji" Hunter Brown III	29	Nashville, Tennessee	Live Music Booking Agent	Eliminated February 24
Muneerah Warner	33	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Abstinence Advisor	Eliminated February 16
Casey Pentony	26	Hollywood, California	Nurse	Eliminated February 16

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2		3		4		5		6		7
1	Amber	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WINNER
2	Jamie	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Danny	IN	IN	BTM	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	BTM	IN	OUT
4	Mike	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
5	Carie¹	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
6	Stephanie¹	IN	IN	BTM	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
7	Danielle	IN	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
8	Carol	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	OUT
9	Joe	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	OUT
10	Ken	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
11	Lance	BTM	IN	OUT
12	Benji	BTM	IN	OUT
13	Muneerah	OUT
14	Casey	OUT

^Note 1 : In Episode 3 Team Anne (red team) won the first challenge, she therefore got to choose one person from Team Bobby (blue team) to go to her team, and then chose one person from her team to go to the other team. She chose Stephanie to go to Team Bobby's team and chose Carie from Team Bobby's team to join her team.

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge and was considered the winner.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.; (IN) The contestant get switched by the host to the other team. Ex: A member of the red team goes to the blue team, and a member of the blue team goes to the red team.

Season 6: 2015

Tyler Florence joins Anne Burrell to host seasons 6, replacing Bobby Flay after 3 seasons. The season premiered on January 4, 2015 to 2,123,000 viewers.^[11] The second episode was lower at 1,456,000 viewers,^[12] with the third episode rising to 1,732,000 viewers^[13] and the fourth episode reached 1,689,000 viewers.^[14] the 5th episode reached 1,634,000 viewers. The sixth episode received 1.55 million viewers.^[15]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status
Kristen Redmond	25	Austin, Texas	Singer/Songwriter	Winner February 15
Genique Freeman	33	Fayetteville, North Carolina	Esthetician	Runner-up February 15
Leopold "Leo" Nunan	36	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Performance Artist	Eliminated February 8
Sarah Bettendorf	33	Los Angeles, California	Art Teacher	Eliminated February 8
Norman Wilson	46	Detroit, Michigan	Executive Protection	Eliminated February 1
Sharif Dean	27	Los Angeles, California	Personal Trainer	Eliminated February 1
David Eric Rosenberg	51	Las Vegas, Nevada	Theatre Usher	Eliminated January 25
Kortni Montgomery	25	New Orleans, Louisiana	Customer Service Rep	Eliminated January 25
Michael "Six" Muldoon	25	Queens, New York	Magician	Eliminated January 18
Mike Kennedy	45	Scottsdale, Arizona	Private Investigator	Eliminated January 18
Stephanie Streisand*	25	Los Angeles, California	Writer	Withdrew January 11
Susie Babin	61	Bush, Louisiana	Retired	Eliminated January 11
Jason Dixon	30	Chicago, Illinois	Artist	Eliminated January 5
Christina Oster	38	Zion, Illinois	Single Mom	Eliminated January 5

Contestant Stephanie Streisand was deemed too ill to continue on January 11

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2		3		4		5		6		7
1	Kristen	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Genique	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Leo	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
4	Sarah	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	WIN	OUT
5	Norman	WIN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	IN	WIN	OUT
6	Sharif	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
7	David	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	BTM	OUT
8	Kortni	BTM	IN	BTM	BTM	WIN	BTM	OUT
9	Six	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
10	Mike	IN	BTM	IN	IN	OUT
11	Stephanie	IN	IN	WDR
12	Susie	IN	BTM	OUT
13	Jason	OUT
14	Christina	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill and was considered the winner.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge, but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.; (WDR) The contestant withdrew from the competition due to illness.

Season 7: Celebrity Edition

Rachael Ray joins Anne Burrell to host season 7. The winner earns a $50,000 donation for their chosen charity. Because this season had only 7 total recruits, each team's worst recruit from that week's Main Dish challenge competed head to head in a quickfire elimination challenge instead of eliminating both recruits each week. This challenge involved more basic cooking techniques (e.g. knife skills) and the winner would be decided by a blind judging from both Anne and Rachael. The winning recruit stayed in the competition while the losing recruit was eliminated.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Status
Jenni "JWoww" Farley	29	Reality Television Star	Winner October 28
Kendra Wilkinson	30	Former Playboy Model & Television Personality	Runner-up October 28
Ellen Cleghorne	49	Saturday Night Live Actress	Eliminated October 21
Barry Williams	60	The Brady Bunch Actor	Eliminated October 14
Chris Soules	33	The Bachelor Star	Eliminated October 7
Jaleel White	38	Actor & Television Host	Eliminated September 30
Dean Cain	48	Television Actor	Eliminated September 23

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	Jenni	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Kendra	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	BTM	RUNNER-UP
3	Ellen	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	OUT
4	Barry	BTM	BTM	WIN	OUT
5	Chris	WIN	IN	OUT
6	Jaleel	IN	OUT
7	Dean	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill and was considered the winner.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge, but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.

Season 8: 2016

Tyler Florence joins Anne Burrell to host season 8.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status
Nick Slater	24	Rancho Cucamonga, California	Construction Worker	Winner February 14
Lawrence Crawford	26	Deptford, New Jersey	Army Combat Medic	Runner-up February 14
Ginny Meerman	50	Millersville, Maryland	Project Supervisor	Eliminated February 7
Taylor Hooper	24	Boston, Massachusetts	Marine Veteran	Eliminated February 7
Holgie Forrester	66	Twentynine Palms, California	Retired/Actress	Eliminated January 31
Chanda Hvard	36	Chicago, Illinois	Real Estate Agent	Eliminated January 31
Donna Koen	60	Newburyport, Massachusetts	Lunch Lady & Hairdresser	Eliminated January 24
Rachel Thomas	27	Tampa, Florida	Stay-at-Home Wife	Eliminated January 24
Ernie Adkins	44	Mardela Springs, Maryland	Truck driver	Eliminated January 17
Glenda Galeano	40	Miami, Florida	Event Coordinator/Actress	Eliminated January 17
Ty Snow	39	Pasadena, California	Special Education Teacher	Eliminated January 10
Cindy Nguyen	28	Las Vegas, Nevada	Bartender	Eliminated January 10
David Fouts	42	Wales, Wisconsin	Senior Project Manager	Eliminated January 4
Jeni Erdman	51	Dousman, Wisconsin	Group Tour Coordinator	Eliminated January 4

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2		3		4		5		6	7
1	Nick	WIN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	TIE	WIN	WINNER
2	Lawrence	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Ginny	WIN	BTM	WIN	IN	BTM	TIE	IN	WIN	WIN	OUT
4	Taylor	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	WIN	TIE	OUT
5	Holgie	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	TIE	BTM	IN	OUT
6	Chanda	BTM	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	IN	OUT
7	Donna	IN	BTM	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
8	Rachel	BTM	IN	BTM	WIN	WIN	BTM	OUT
9	Ernie	IN	BTM	IN	IN	OUT
10	Glenda	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	OUT
11	Ty	IN	IN	OUT
12	Cindy	IN	IN	OUT
13	David	OUT
14	Jeni	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill and was considered the winner.; (TIE) The contestant tied with another contestant as the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge, but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.

Season 9: Celebrity Edition 2

Rachael Ray returns with Anne Burrell to host season 2 of the Celebrity Edition. The winner earns a $50,000 donation for their chosen charity. The season premiered on September 14, 2016 to 1,185,000 viewers.^[16]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Status
Loni Love	44	The Real Co-Host & Comedian	Winner November 2
Nicole Sullivan	46	Former MadTV Star, Comedian, & Actress	Runner-up November 2
John Henson	49	Former Talk Soup & Wipeout host	Eliminated October 26
Mike Situation Sorrentino	34	Reality Television Personality	Eliminated October 26
Matt Dallas	33	Television Actor & YouTube Personality	Eliminated October 19
Mindy Cohn	50	The Facts of Life & Scooby-Doo Actress	Eliminated October 12
Tommy Davidson	52	Comedian & Actor	Eliminated September 28
Barbara Eden	85	Film & Television Actress (I Dream of Jeannie & Harper Valley P.T.A.)	Eliminated September 21
Kenya Moore	45	Miss USA 1993 & The Real Housewives of Atlanta Star	Eliminated September 14

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	Loni	IN	IN	TIE	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WINNER
2	Nicole	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	IN	IN	RUNNER-UP
3	John	WIN	WIN	BTM	WIN	IN	BTM	OUT
4	Mike	IN	BTM	WIN	WIN	IN	WIN	OUT
5	Matt	WIN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
6	Mindy	IN	IN	TIE	BTM	OUT
7	Tommy	IN	IN	OUT
8	Barbara	BTM	OUT
9	Kenya	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill and was considered the winner.; (TIE) The contestant tied with another contestant as the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.

Season 10: 2017

Rachael Ray joins Anne Burrell to host season 10. The season premiered on January 1, 2017.^[17]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status
Daniel Mar	35	Burbank, California	Photographer	Winner March 5
Ann Odogwu	34	Houston, Texas	Flight Attendant	Runner-Up March 5
Laura Docker	36	Fort Worth, Texas	Lawyer	Eliminated February 26
Mandy Thornton	24	Hanover, Massachusetts	Medical Assistant	Eliminated February 26
Adam Cooke	32	Rancho Cucamonga, California	Auto Mechanic	Eliminated February 19
Brittany Lenore	27	Chicago, Illinois	Spiritual Speaker	Eliminated February 19
Jeff West	36	Douglassville, Pennsylvania	Vending Machine President	Eliminated February 12
Kayla Kurtz	27	Kent, Ohio	Stay-at-Home Mom	Eliminated January 29
Maria Marcello	40	Torrance, California	Stay-at-Home Mom	Eliminated January 29
Matt Josephs	35	Richmond, Virginia	Sports Radio Producer	Eliminated January 22
Jake Michaels	21	Manteno, Illinois	Model & Singer	Eliminated January 15
Jetta Linda Ostrofsky	66	Sacramento, California	Retired	Eliminated January 15
Stephen Hawkins	67	Temecula, California	Retired	Eliminated January 8
Buffy Mykkanen	29	Portland, Oregon	Tech Support	Eliminated January 8
Cedrick Miller	22	El Paso, Texas	Cashier	Eliminated January 1
Lester Turchin	65	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	Retired	Eliminated January 1

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2		3	4	5	6		7		8	9	10
1	Daniel	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WINNER
2	Ann	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	SAVE	IN	IN	RUNNER-UP
3	Mandy	IN	IN	IN	TIE	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
4	Laura	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	WIN	IN	OUT
5	Brittany	WIN	IN	IN	TIE	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	OUT
6	Adam	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
7	Jeff	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
8	Maria	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	OUT
9	Kayla	IN	IN	IN	TIE	SAVE	OUT
10	Matt	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
11	Jetta	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
12	Jake	BTM	IN	IN	OUT
13	Stephen	BTM	IN	OUT
14	Buffy	IN	IN	OUT
15	Cedrick	OUT
16	Lester	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill and was considered the winner.; (TIE) The contestant tied with another contestant as the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge, but was not eliminated.; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.; (SAVE) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge but was saved by their respective team mentor.

In Episode 6, Both Chef Anne and Chef Rachael decided not to send anyone from their teams home.

Season 11: Celebrity Edition 3

Rachael Ray returns with Anne Burrell to host season 3 of the Celebrity Edition. The season premiered on August 23, 2017^[18] ^[19]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Status
Perez Hilton	39	Gossip Blogger	Winner October 11
Melissa Peterman	46	Actress & Comedienne	Runner-up October 11
Nora Dunn	65	Actress & Comedienne	Eliminated October 4
Vivica A. Fox	53	Actress	Eliminated October 4
Sean Lowe	33	Reality Star	Eliminated September 27
Carmen Electra	45	Model & Actress	Withdrew September 13 due to injuries
Carson Kressley	47	TV Personality	Eliminated September 6
Erik Estrada	68	Star of CHiPs	Eliminated August 30

•Note: Vivica was originally eliminated on September 20. In Episode 7, airing on October 4, both Vivica and Sean returned to the competition for a redemption skill drill. Vivica won the drill, re-entered the competition and was then eliminated following the main challenge.

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2		3		4		5		6		7		8
1	Perez	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WINNER
2	Melissa	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	SAVE	IN	BTM	IN	IN	IN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Nora	SAVE	TIE	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
4	Vivica	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	TIE	SAVE	IN	OUT			RTN	OUT
5	Sean	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	TIE	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
6	Carmen	BTM	IN	BTM	WIN	IN	WDR
7	Carson	IN	TIE	WIN	IN	OUT
8	Erik	IN	TIE	OUT

Key: (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".; (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.; (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill and was considered the winner.; (TIE) The contestant tied with another contestant as the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill.; (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge but was not eliminated; (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.; (WDR) The contestant withdrew from the competition due to illness or injury.; (RTN) The contestant won the redemption Skill Drill and returned to the competition.; (SAVE) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge but was saved by their respective team mentor.

References

^ "'Worst Cooks in America' isn't just a title: They're horrible". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "'Worst Cooks in America': Worst thing I watched most of last night". Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Worst Cooks in America: Red Team (Chef Anne Burrell)". Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Worst Cooks in America: Blue Team (Chef Beau MacMillan)". Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Scattergood, Amy (March 16, 2010). "Casting Calls: Season 2 of Worst Cooks in America Wants You! – Los Angeles Restaurants and Dining – Squid Ink". Blogs.laweekly.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^ "Food Network is looking for HOPELESS HOME COOKS!". Worstcookscasting.wordpress.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^ "Powered by Google Docs". Docs.google.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^ "Superstar Chefs Anne Burrell And Bobby Flay Transform Kitchen-Challenged Contestants in Season Three of Primetime Competition Series Worst Cooks in America" (pdf). Food Network. Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "WORST COOKS IN AMERICA: Season Three – Contestant Overview" (pdf). Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "National Television Host on Shop NBC". Libby Floyd. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
^ "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.4.2015". Retrieved January 30, 2015.
^ "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.11.2015". Retrieved January 30, 2015.
^ "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.18.2015". Retrieved January 30, 2015.
^ "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.25.2015". Retrieved January 30, 2015.
^ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 10, 2015). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Better Call Saul', 'Talking Dead', 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
^ Metcalf, Mitch (September 15, 2016). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.14.2016". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
^ "Anne Burrell and Rachael Ray Kick Off the New Year with Season 10 of Worst Cooks in America | FN Dish – Food Network Blog". FN Dish – Food Network Blog. November 23, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
^ http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/worst-cooks-in-america/episodes/social-media-food-failures
^ http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/worst-cooks-in-america/photos/worst-cooks-in-america-season-11-meet-the-celebrity-recruits

External links

Official website

[1] "'Worst Cooks in America' isn't just a title: They're horrible". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[2] "'Worst Cooks in America': Worst thing I watched most of last night". Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[3] "Worst Cooks in America: Red Team (Chef Anne Burrell)". Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[4] "Worst Cooks in America: Blue Team (Chef Beau MacMillan)". Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[5] Scattergood, Amy (March 16, 2010). "Casting Calls: Season 2 of Worst Cooks in America Wants You! – Los Angeles Restaurants and Dining – Squid Ink". Blogs.laweekly.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.

[6] "Food Network is looking for HOPELESS HOME COOKS!". Worstcookscasting.wordpress.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.

[7] "Powered by Google Docs". Docs.google.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.

[season3-8] "Superstar Chefs Anne Burrell And Bobby Flay Transform Kitchen-Challenged Contestants in Season Three of Primetime Competition Series Worst Cooks in America" (pdf). Food Network. Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[9] "WORST COOKS IN AMERICA: Season Three – Contestant Overview" (pdf). Retrieved February 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[10] "National Television Host on Shop NBC". Libby Floyd. Retrieved August 1, 2012.

[11] "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.4.2015". Retrieved January 30, 2015.

[12] "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.11.2015". Retrieved January 30, 2015.

[13] "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.18.2015". Retrieved January 30, 2015.

[14] "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.25.2015". Retrieved January 30, 2015.

[15] Kondolojy, Amanda (February 10, 2015). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Better Call Saul', 'Talking Dead', 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 10, 2015.

[16] Metcalf, Mitch (September 15, 2016). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.14.2016". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved September 17, 2016.

[17] "Anne Burrell and Rachael Ray Kick Off the New Year with Season 10 of Worst Cooks in America | FN Dish – Food Network Blog". FN Dish – Food Network Blog. November 23, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.

[18] ttp://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/worst-cooks-in-america/episodes/social-media-food-failures

[19] ttp://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/worst-cooks-in-america/photos/worst-cooks-in-america-season-11-meet-the-celebrity-recruits

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-'''''Worst Cooks in America''''' is an American [[reality television]] series that premiered on January 3, 2010, on the [[Food Network]]. The show takes 12 to 16 contestants (referred to as "recruits") with very poor cooking skills, starring Boston’s own Fatima T., through a culinary [[Training camp|boot camp]], to earn a cash prize of $25,000 and a Food Network cooking set.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2010/01/worst-cooks-in-america.html |work=Los Angeles Times |title='Worst Cooks in America' isn't just a title: They're horrible |deadurl=no |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://watching-tv.ew.com/2010/01/04/worst-cooks-in-america/ |title='Worst Cooks in America': Worst thing I watched most of last night |deadurl=no |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref> The recruits are trained on the various basic cooking techniques including: [[baking]], [[List of culinary knife cuts|knife skills]], [[Doneness|temperature]], [[seasoning]] and preparation. The final challenge is to cook a [[Restaurant|restaurant quality]] three-course meal for three [[food critic]]s.
+'''''Worst Cooks in America''''' is an American [[reality television]] series that premiered on January 3, 2010, on the [[Food Network]]. The show takes 12 to 16 contestants (referred to as "recruits") with very poor cooking skills through a culinary [[Training camp|boot camp]], to earn a cash prize of $25,000 and a Food Network cooking set.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2010/01/worst-cooks-in-america.html |work=Los Angeles Times |title='Worst Cooks in America' isn't just a title: They're horrible |deadurl=no |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://watching-tv.ew.com/2010/01/04/worst-cooks-in-america/ |title='Worst Cooks in America': Worst thing I watched most of last night |deadurl=no |accessdate=February 14, 2013}}</ref> The recruits are trained on the various basic cooking techniques including: [[baking]], [[List of culinary knife cuts|knife skills]], [[Doneness|temperature]], [[seasoning]] and preparation. The final challenge is to cook a [[Restaurant|restaurant quality]] three-course meal for three [[food critic]]s.
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