Worst Cooks in America
Encyclopedia
Worst Cooks in America is a reality show in which twelve of America’s worst cooks are put through culinary boot camp. The show's first season premiered on Food Network
January 3, 2010, and was hosted by Chefs Anne Burrell
and Beau MacMillan
. The winner of the first season received US$25,000.
Blue Team Leader
and Anne Burrell
lead an intense culinary bootcamp. 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.
In elimination order, the recruits from the Red Team are:
In elimination order, the recruits from the Blue Team are:
would replace Beau MacMillan
for season 2. Season 2 debuted on January 2, 2011. In this season the chefs had eight recruits each.
In elimination order, the recruits from the Blue Team are:
In elimination order, the recruits from the Red Team are:
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
January 3, 2010, and was hosted by Chefs Anne Burrell
Anne Burrell
Anne W. Burrell is an American chef, TV personality, and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She is the host of the Food Network show Secrets Of a Restaurant Chef and co-host of Worst Cooks in America, where she is currently undefeated thus far...
and Beau MacMillan
Beau MacMillan
Beau James MacMillan is an American chef and television personality. He is the executive chef for Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, an upscale resort in Arizona, and its featured restaurant, elements. Nicknamed "BeauMac,"-Personal life:...
. The winner of the first season received US$25,000.
Cast
Red Team Leader- Anne BurrellAnne BurrellAnne W. Burrell is an American chef, TV personality, and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She is the host of the Food Network show Secrets Of a Restaurant Chef and co-host of Worst Cooks in America, where she is currently undefeated thus far...
Blue Team Leader
- Beau MacMillanBeau MacMillanBeau James MacMillan is an American chef and television personality. He is the executive chef for Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, an upscale resort in Arizona, and its featured restaurant, elements. Nicknamed "BeauMac,"-Personal life:...
(2010) - Robert IrvineRobert IrvineRobert Irvine is a celebrity chef who has appeared on a variety of Food Network programs, including Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America, and Restaurant: Impossible.-Career:Irvine began his cooking career upon enlisting in the Royal Navy at the age of fifteen...
(2011) - Bobby FlayBobby FlayRobert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak...
(2012)
Team Leaders
| Leaders/Hosts | Seasons | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Anne Burrell Anne Burrell Anne W. Burrell is an American chef, TV personality, and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She is the host of the Food Network show Secrets Of a Restaurant Chef and co-host of Worst Cooks in America, where she is currently undefeated thus far... |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
| Beau MacMillan Beau MacMillan Beau James MacMillan is an American chef and television personality. He is the executive chef for Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, an upscale resort in Arizona, and its featured restaurant, elements. Nicknamed "BeauMac,"-Personal life:... |
♦ | ||
| Robert Irvine Robert Irvine Robert Irvine is a celebrity chef who has appeared on a variety of Food Network programs, including Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America, and Restaurant: Impossible.-Career:Irvine began his cooking career upon enlisting in the Royal Navy at the age of fifteen... |
♦ | ||
| Bobby Flay Bobby Flay Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak... |
♦ | ||
Season 1: 2010
Chefs Beau MacMillanBeau MacMillan
Beau James MacMillan is an American chef and television personality. He is the executive chef for Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, an upscale resort in Arizona, and its featured restaurant, elements. Nicknamed "BeauMac,"-Personal life:...
and Anne Burrell
Anne Burrell
Anne W. Burrell is an American chef, TV personality, and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She is the host of the Food Network show Secrets Of a Restaurant Chef and co-host of Worst Cooks in America, where she is currently undefeated thus far...
lead an intense culinary bootcamp. 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.
The Recruits
Twelve chefs competed in the first season of Worst Cooks in America. Hometowns and occupations are available from the Food Network website. Chef Anne's team was known as the Red Team and Chef Beau's team was known as the Blue Team.Eliminated
In elimination order, the recruits from the Red Team are:
- Hamed Hamad, 24 (North HollywoodNorth Hollywood, Los Angeles, CaliforniaNorth Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
, Calif.): Journalist and fashion consultant - Kelly LoCascio, 31 (ScottsdaleScottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, Ariz.ArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
): Corporate litigation attorney - Sophia Gettys, 27 (AuroraAurora, ColoradoCity of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
, Colo.ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
): Stay-at-home mother (originally Blue Team but was switched to Red Team) - Rebecca Hooper, 43 (SandySandy, UtahSandy is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah....
, Ut.UtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
): Salon Owner - Eddie Chang, 32 (Jersey CityJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, N.J.New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
): ITInformation technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
project manager
Eliminated
In elimination order, the recruits from the Blue Team are:
- Wilhelmina Josephine (Aliso ViejoAliso Viejo, CaliforniaAliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...
, Calif.): Stay-at-home mother - David Summey, 29 (CharlotteCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, N.C.North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
): Beer salesman - Susie Shoman, 53 (GeorgetownGeorgetown, South CarolinaGeorgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
, S.CSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
): Grants administrator and entrepreneur - Marque Hernandez, 41 (BreaBrea, CaliforniaBrea is a city in Orange County, California. The population, as of the 2010 Census was 39,282.The city began as a center of crude oil production, was later propelled by citrus production, and is now an important retail center because of the large Brea Mall and the recently redeveloped Brea Downtown...
, Calif.): Director of Clinical Operations - Jennifer "Jen" Vecchio, 38 (CumberlandCumberland, Rhode IslandCumberland is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, incorporated in 1746. The population was 33,506 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, R.I.Rhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
): Dance teacher
Finalist
- Jennifer "Jenny" Cross, 21 (Philadelphia, Penn.PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
): Waitress (originally Red Team, but switched to Blue Team)
Contestant Progress
| Contestant | 1 | 2 | | 3 | |4 | 5 | 6 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | BTM | WIN | WINNER | |
| IN | IN | IN1 | WIN | IN | BTM | WIN | RUNNER-UP | |
| IN | IN | WIN | IN | WIN | WIN | OUT | ||
| BTM | WIN | BTM | BTM | IN | WIN | OUT | ||
| WIN | WIN | BTM | BTM | IN | OUT | |||
| WIN | BTM | IN | WIN | IN | OUT | |||
| IN | IN | IN1 | OUT | |||||
| IN | BTM | IN | OUT | |||||
| IN | OUT | |||||||
| BTM | OUT | |||||||
| OUT | ||||||||
| 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.
- (TOP) The contestant that was the second person declared safe.
- (LOW) 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.
Episodes
Chef Anne and Chef Beau each assigned one another a team of six recruits. The teams are reduced by one each episode during the elimination portion of the show. Each episode typically contains two challenges; a skill drill and a main dish challenge. The skill drill challenge is aimed at showing or teaching the recruits a skill needed for cooking (e.g., teaching them knife skills) and the main dish challenge consists of re-creating a recipe shown by the instructor of the team. Both chefs then judge their teams on their performances in the main dish challenge and eliminate one recruit per team.Season 2: 2011
Casting for season 2 of Worst Cooks in America was held at the LA Marriott Burbank Airport, Hotel & Convention Center March 27, 2010. The Food Network also began accepting online video applications for season 2. Food Network's website announced that Robert IrvineRobert Irvine
Robert Irvine is a celebrity chef who has appeared on a variety of Food Network programs, including Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America, and Restaurant: Impossible.-Career:Irvine began his cooking career upon enlisting in the Royal Navy at the age of fifteen...
would replace Beau MacMillan
Beau MacMillan
Beau James MacMillan is an American chef and television personality. He is the executive chef for Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, an upscale resort in Arizona, and its featured restaurant, elements. Nicknamed "BeauMac,"-Personal life:...
for season 2. Season 2 debuted on January 2, 2011. In this season the chefs had eight recruits each.
Eliminated
In elimination order, the recruits from the Blue Team are:
- Eric Ricupero, 34 (QuincyQuincy, MassachusettsQuincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
, MAMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
): Bar owner - Jeff Longcor, 25 (SomervilleSomerville, MassachusettsSomerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
, MAMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
): Environmental contractor - Matt Crespi, 24 (PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, PAPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
): PhD student - Anna Altomari, 44 (Aliso ViejoAliso Viejo, CaliforniaAliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...
, CACaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
): RN Case manager - Kelly Gray, 32 (New York, NYNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
): Aerobics instructor - Ty Miller, 33 (Trenton, New JerseyTrenton, New JerseyTrenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
): Property manager - Kelsey Milos, 22 (KingsKings, IllinoisKings is an unincorporated community in Ogle County, Illinois, and is located northwest of Rochelle.-Demographics:-External links:*...
, ILIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
): Hair Stylist (Originally Red Team, but switched to Blue Team)
Finalist
- Georgann "Georg" Coleman, 38 (Chicago, ILIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
): Speech pathologist
Eliminated
In elimination order, the recruits from the Red Team are:
- Lina Yu, 28 (ArcadiaArcadia, CaliforniaArcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....
, CACaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
): Production manager - Anthony Scinto, 32 (CrestwoodCrestwood, IllinoisCrestwood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,251 at the 2000 census. In April 2009 the Chicago Tribune reported that for 20 years the city had been drawing its drinking water from a well that was contaminated with toxic chemicals.-Geography:According to the...
, ILIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
) - Priscilla Harden, 60 (Sugar LandSugar Land, TexasSugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a...
, TXTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
): Retired teacher - Erika Rumsey, 27 (ElginElgin, IllinoisElgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
, ILIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
): Account manager - Jennifer "Jen" MacLean, 43 (Sparta, NJNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
): Operating room nurse - Kat Rose, 37 (NewnanNewnan, GeorgiaNewnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The population was 16,242 at the 2000 Census. Newnan is one of the fastest growing cities in Georgia, with an estimated population of 27,097 in 2006 and 33,293 in July 2008...
, GAGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
): Stay at home mom (originally Blue Team, but switched to Red Team) - Carlos Manuel, 28 (AtlantaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, GAGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
): Banker - Fan Favorite
Contestant Progress
| Contestant | 1 | | 2 | 3 | | 4 | 5 | 6 | | 7 | 8 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IN | IN | IN | WIN | BTM | IN | IN | BTM | IN | WIN | WINNER | |
| IN | WIN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | WIN | BTM | WIN | WIN | RUNNER-UP | |
| IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | WIN | WIN | WIN | WIN | OUT | ||
| WIN | IN | IN | BTM | IN1 | BTM | IN | WIN | IN | OUT | ||
| WIN | IN | BTM | IN | BTM1 | BTM | BTM | OUT | ||||
| IN | IN | IN | BTM | IN | IN | BTM | OUT | ||||
| IN | BTM | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||||
| IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | OUT | |||||
| BTM | WIN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||
| IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | OUT | ||||||
| IN | IN | BTM | OUT | ||||||||
| BTM | IN | WIN | OUT | ||||||||
| IN | IN | OUT | |||||||||
| IN | BTM | OUT | |||||||||
| OUT | |||||||||||
| 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.
- (TOP) The contestant was the second person declared safe.
- (LOW) 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.