Chefs Anne Burrell and Jeff Mauro are teaming up once again for “Worst Cooks in America: Love at First Bite.” The romantically themed Food Network will spotlight eligible singles specializing in the tastes of love and is set to premiere Aug. 6.
The eight-episode season will follow Burrell and Mauro as they lead their own team of chefs through a culinary bootcamp. But this time around, most of the challenges have to do with romance. Think French pastries, perfect date night cuisine and a series of dating-inspired challenges such as the Cupid Games, the Bagel-orette and the Inferno Zone. By the series’ end, the most improved chef will be awarded a $25,000 grand prize as well as bragging rights for their mentor.
“These singles are desperate to learn to cook and they have come to the right place,” Betsy Ayala, head of content, food, for Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement to TheWrap. “This season, Anne and Jeff have their hands full with these disastrous love-obsessed cooks. They are the perfect duo to help lead the hilarious and inspiring culinary transformations.”
“Worst Cooks in America: Love at First Bite” will debut with a special 90-minute episode. The series will then transition to hour-long episodes until its double-episode finale on Sept. 10.
Altogether, there will be 16 contestants in this new reality series: Terri Arcelia from Atlanta, Georgia; James Bates from Hammond, Louisiana; Michael Kazakov from Staten Island, New York; Charles Osbourne, Sterling Quinn and Zach Russell from New York City; Lou Tocquie from Rochester, New York; Denz Mooney from Long Island, New York; Matthew Militello, Toneata Morgan and Jessica Singer from Los Angeles; Kermit Moss Jr. from Fullerton, California; Etherio Noon and Sami White from Chicago; Allegra Melton from Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Amy Solomon from Las Vegas.
Over the course of the season, contestants will get a lesson from Chef Victor Huang on how to hand pull noodles from scratch and compete in a Las Vegas-inspired challenge that revolves around recreating a dish without a recipe. In its finale, the two most improved recruits will face off as they prepare a three-course restaurant quality meal for a panel of food experts that include judges Hawa Hassan, Christian Petroni and Chris Scott. Randy Fenoli will also appear in the finale to provide an unexpected obstacle in the competition.
“Worst Cooks in America” is produced by Objective Media Group America, an All3 Media America company. The cooking competition series first premiered on Food Network in 2010. Over 25 seasons, the show has explored everything from ’90s celebrities to viral food creations. Burrell has led the red team in every season to date, but prior to “Love at First Bite,” Mauro has only led one team in Season 24.
