Plot Synopsis

A group of chefs compete in elimination challenges until only one chef is left in the kitchen, with the winner earning the chance to host their own Food Network program. Past winners include: Dan Smith & Steve McDonagh (Season 1), who hosted PARTY LINE WITH THE HEARTY BOYS; Guy Fieri (Season 2), who hosted GUY'S BIG BITE and many other programs afterwards; Amy Finley (Season 3), who hosted THE GOURMET NEXT DOOR; Aaron McCargo, Jr. (Season 4), who hosted BIG DADDY'S HOUSE; Melissa d'Arabian (Season 5), who hosted TEN DOLLAR DINNERS; Aarti Sequeira (Season 6), who hosted AARTI PARTY; Jeff Mauro (Season 7), who hosted SANDWICH KING; Justin Warner (Season 8), who hosedt the special REBEL EATS; Damaris Phillips (Season 9), who hosted SOUTHERN AT HEART; Lenny McNab (Season 10). In Season 8, the series had a change in format with Alton Brown, Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis each picking a team of five finalists, who they mentored through the experience. Plus, for the first time, the viewing audience voted before the finale to determine which contestant scored his or her own Food Network show. Season 9, which debuted on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, welcomed back Alton, Giada and Bobby as judges instead of mentors and offered two other new twists: Food Network fans participated in focus groups and one eliminated contestant will be allowed to return. Food Network broadcast the Season 10 premiere of FOOD NETWORK STAR on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT, with Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay returning as mentors/judges. The 12 new contenders are put to the test in a season filled with unique competitions challenging their kitchen and on-camera chops, to find out who has the talent and charisma to follow in Alton, Giada and Bobby's footsteps and helm their own show. The web series STAR SALVATION also returns, giving one eliminated contestant the opportunity to rejoin the on-air competition, which culminates in an audience vote to determine who wins the ultimate prize -- their own show on Food Network. On Sunday, June 7, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT, FOOD NETWORK STAR returned for its eleventh season with Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay back as mentors/judges, joined this season by a roster of special guests and judges. In the season premiere, the 12 hopefuls arrive in Los Angeles and are introduced to Giada and Bobby. Each finalist must produce a 30-second introductory video and make their signature dish for a food festival to be held the next day. At the festival, attended by a crowd of Food Network fans, each video is screened and signature dish tasted by a judging panel including Giada, Bobby, Food Network executives Susie Fogelson and Bob Tuschman, and "People" Deputy Editor J.D. Heyman. For one finalist, their dream ends, while the remaining 11 continue on their journey. Upcoming episodes include a Fourth of July-themed celebration, intense food truck/social media challenge and do-or-die live television demo. Special guests/judges this season include Food Network personalities Sunny Anderson, Richard Blais, Anne Burrell, Melissa d'Arabian, Bobby Deen, Duff Goldman, Alex Guarnaschelli, Katie Lee, Jeff Mauro, Damaris Phillips, Rachael Ray, Geoffrey Zakarian and comedian David Alan Grier. The competitors for Season 11 are: Emilia Cirker (Reston, VA); Jay Ducote (Baton Rouge, LA); Christina Fitzgerald (St. Louis); Rosa Graziano (Los Angeles); Matthew Grunwald (Scottsdale, AZ); Eddie Jackson (Houston); Michelle Karam (Santa Barbara, CA); Sita Lewis (New York); Alex McCoy (Washington DC); Arnold Myint (Nashville); Rue Rusike (Brooklyn, NY) and Dominick Tesoriero (Staten Island, NY). Season 12 of FOOD NETWORK STAR premiered on Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network, with culinary icons Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay looking to discover the next promising food television star. This season, titled FOOD NETWORK STAR: COMEBACK KITCHEN, is co-hosted by Valerie Bertinelli and Tyler Florence and features seven former FOOD NETWORK STAR finalists returning to compete over three episodes for a coveted spot as the thirteenth finalist within Season 12's premiere. For the first challenge, hosts Valerie Bertinelli and Tyler Florence ask the competitors to redeem themselves by making a dish that haunts them from their first go-around, then shoot a one-minute video to explain what they've been up to and how they've improved. Based on the dishes and videos, the least-improved alumnus is eliminated. On Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT, Food Network premiered the thirteenth season of FOOD NETWORK STAR, immediately following "Comeback Kitchen: Passing the Bar" a new one-hour special of FOOD NETWORK STAR. Thirteen fresh competitors enter the kitchen to showcase their cooking and on-camera skills over 11 episodes, to prove to Giada and Bobby they have what it takes to join the Food Network family. In the season premiere on June 4th, 12 potential Food Network Stars arrive at the beautiful and historic Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles, hoping for their big break. Bobby and Giada greet the anxious competitors with some troubling news: they have to pass one more big audition before they will officially be considered finalists. But that's not all, there is one more person joining the competition, and that's the winner of Food Network Star: Comeback Kitchen. Special guests Robert Irvine and Monti Carlo help Giada and Bobby decide who will be the first competitor sent home. Throughout the season Bobby and Giada are joined by a roster of top-notch special guests to present the finalists with challenges that test their culinary and on-camera prowess, including a special game day challenge featuring ESPN anchors Jemele Hill and Jaymee Sire. Additional special guests joining the action this season both in and out of the studio include: Sunny Anderson, Melissa d'Arabian, Anne Burrell, Josh Denny, Guy Fieri, Hannah Hart, Eddie Jackson, Sandra Lee, Sabin Lomac, Tiffani Thiessen, and Andrew Zimmern. The finalists this season are: Blake Baldwin (Flemington, NJ); Trace Barnett (Brilliant, AL); Toya Boudy (New Orleans, LA); Addie Gundry (Lake Forrest, IL); Rusty Hamlin (Atlanta, GA); Suzanne Lossia (Detroit, MI); Nancy Manlove (Texas City, TX); Amy Pottinger (Honolulu, HI); David Rose (Atlanta, GA); Jason Smith (Grayson, KY); Caodan Tran (Dallas, TX), and the winner of Food Network Star: Comeback Kitchen. The returning Comeback Kitchen alumni battling it out to join the new season are: Rob Burmeister (Season 12); Emilia Cirker (Season 11); Matthew Grunwald (Season 11); Josh Lyons (Season 8); Danushka Lysek (Season 9); Jamika Pessoa (Season 5);and Joy Thompson (Season 12). Season 14 of FOOD NETWORK STAR premiered on Sunday, June 10 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, immediately following a brand-new one-hour "Comeback Kitchen" special. This season, over nine episodes the finalists -- Harrison Bader (Los Angeles, CA); Katie Dixon (Hattiesburg, MS); Jason Goldsmith (New York, NY); Samone Lett (Sanford, FL); Rebekah Lingenfelser (Savannah, GA); Palak Patel (New York, NY); Christian Petroni (Port Chester, NY); Jessica Tom (Princeton, NJ); Chris Valdes (Miami, FL); Manny Washington (Orlando, FL) -- are tasked with challenges that test both their cooking and on-camera skills, as they try to prove to Bobby and Giada they have what it takes to be a star. Over the course of the season Bobby and Giada are joined by special guests as they pull out all the stops to see which of these finalists have what it takes to excel, both in the kitchen and in front of the camera. Whether it is hosting their own live show with Ree Drummond in attendance, or putting their judging skills to the test to impress People Magazine editor-in-chief Jess Cagle, these culinary novices have their work cut out for them. Other special guests joining the action this season include: Sunny Anderson, Richard Blais, Anne Burrell, Fran Drescher, Tyler Florence, Tregaye Fraser, Duff Goldman, Alex Guarnaschelli, Robert Irvine, Loni Love, Damaris Phillips, Jason Smith, Casey Webb, and Molly Yeh.
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On Sunday, August 5, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT, Food Network premeired "The Newest Star," the Season 14 finale of FOOD NETWORK STAR. In the season ender, the pilots are in, and Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay determine the fates of the three finalists -- Jess Tom, Christian Petroni, and Manny Washington. Watch what happens behind the scenes and find out who will join the Food Network family and become a Food Network Star.