WHO IS ‘THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR’?
Network Announces Eight Finalists; Production Begins On New Series
FoodNetwork.com Posts Record 2.4 Million Votes for Last Finalist
NEW YORK, February 9, 2005 – After receiving more than 10,000 tapes, Food Network has narrowed the field to eight finalists and will begin production next week on its new reality series, The Next Food Network Star. This past Fall, the network conducted a nation-wide search to find cooks of all kinds, who wanted to compete for the chance to win their own Food Network series. Seven of the finalists were chosen by an internal Food Network panel, while the final contestant was chosen from a field of 10 semi-finalists via an online vote at FoodNetwork.com. Over 2.4 million votes were cast over a three-week span, as users selected Hans Rueffert from Talking Rock, Georgia, as the eighth finalist.
“We were amazed by the quality of the tapes that we received,” said Kathleen Finch, Senior Vice President, Primetime Programming. “Choosing the finalists was a difficult process, but we are excited about the people we have selected and look forward to seeing them compete.”
The eight finalists will journey to Food Network’s New York City headquarters next week to begin a series of tests and challenges that will ultimately determine which one of them can “take the heat” and become ‘The Next Food Network Star.” The selection panel will evaluate the finalists’ personality, their performance and their food knowledge. The eight finalists include:
Deborah Fewell, 32 (Pasadena, CA) Private chef for celebrity clients
Brook Harlan, 24 (Columbia, MO) High school culinary arts teacher and wrestling coach
Susannah Locketti, 32 (Plymouth, MA) Graphic designer and host of local access cooking show
Harmony Marceau, 29 (New York, NY) Private chef and model
Hans Rueffert, 32 (Talking Rock, GA) Local access cable news host and FoodNetwork.com finalist
Dan Smith & Steve McDonagh, 42 & 40 (Chicago, IL) Professional caterering team
Michael Thomas, 36 (Venice, CA) Personal chef and novelist
Eric Warren, 52 (Los Angeles, CA) Caretaker for developmentally disabled clients
Television veteran, Marc Summers (Unwrapped), will lend his television expertise to the hunt for The Next Food Network Star as host for the series of specials. Produced by CBS News Productions, the series is slated to premiere in June 2005. The ultimate winner will be determined by FoodNetwork.com visitors and receives a six-episode show that will premiere in September 2005, as part of the network’s weekend In the Kitchen programming block, which airs from 9am-2pm ET/PT every Saturday and Sunday. The finalists will be tested in a series of challenges and be evaluated by a panel of judges who will continue to narrow the field down to two contestants, who will each film a pilot segment. FoodNetwork.com will provide a mini-site where viewers can familiarize themselves with the candidates. The viewers will then vote and determine the overall winner, who will be revealed live on the series’ finale.
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Chef2Chef News Desk