Worst Cooks in America explained

Country:	United States
Num Seasons:	27
Num Episodes:	198
Location:	New York City
Runtime:	60-90 minutes
Company:	Optomen Productions, Inc.
Last Aired:	present

Worst Cooks in America is an American reality television series that premiered on January3, 2010, on 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. In the celebrity edition of the show, the winning celebrity gets a $50,000 prize to donate to the charity of their choice.^{[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

Chef Chart

Season	Red Team Mentor	Blue Team Mentor	Number of Contestants	Debut Date	Finale Date	Winner
1	Anne Burrell	Beau MacMillan	12	January 3, 2010	February 1, 2010	Anne
2		Robert Irvine	16	January 2, 2011	February 20, 2011
3		Bobby Flay		February 12, 2012	April 1, 2012
4			14	February 17, 2013	March 31, 2013	Bobby
5				February 17, 2014	March 31, 2014
6		Tyler Florence		January 4, 2015	February 15, 2015	Anne
7/ Celebrity 1		Rachael Ray	7	September 23, 2015	October 28, 2015
8		Tyler Florence	14	January 4, 2016	February 14, 2016
9/ Celebrity 2		Rachael Ray	9	September 14, 2016	November 2, 2016	Rachael
10			16	January 1, 2017	March 5, 2017	Anne
11/ Celebrity 3			8	August 23, 2017	October 11, 2017	Rachael
12		Tyler Florence	16	January 7, 2018	March 11, 2018	Anne
13/ Celebrity 4			7	April 15, 2018	May 20, 2018	Tyler
14		Robert Irvine	14	August 12, 2018	September 24, 2018	Robert
15		Tyler Florence	15	January 6, 2019	March 3, 2019	Anne
16/ Celebrity 5			8	April 21, 2019	June 2, 2019
17		Bobby Flay	14	August 4, 2019	September 22, 2019	Bobby
18		Alton Brown	16	January 5, 2020	March 8, 2020	Anne
19/ Celebrity 6		Tyler Florence	7	May 10, 2020	June 14, 2020
20		Alex Guarnaschelli	14	June 21, 2020	August 2, 2020	Alex
21		Carla Hall		January 3, 2021	February 28, 2021^[3]	Carla
22/ Best of the Worst		Michael Symon	8	April 25, 2021	May 30, 2021	Anne
23		Cliff Crooks	12	January 5, 2022	February 23, 2022	Cliff
24/ Celebrity 7, That's So 90's		Jeff Mauro	9	April 24, 2022	May 29, 2022	Anne
25/ Viral Sensations		Darnell Ferguson	12	January 1, 2023	February 5, 2023
26/ Love at First Bite		Jeff Mauro	16	August 6, 2023	September 10, 2023	Jeff
27/ Spoiled Rotten		Tiffany Derry	16	January 7, 2024	February 4, 2024	Tiffany

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.^{[4] [5]} 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	Team	Status
Rachel Coleman	23	Brooklyn, New York	Marketing Website editor	Anne/Red	Winner on February 1, 2010
	21	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Waitress	Beau/Blue
	38	Cumberland, Rhode Island	Dance Studio Owner	Beau/Blue	Eliminated on January 31, 2010
Eddie Chang	32	Jersey City, New Jersey	IT project manager	Anne/Red
Marque Hernandez	41	Brea, California	Director of Clinical Operations	Beau/Blue	Eliminated on January 24, 2010
Rebecca Hooper	43	Sandy, Utah	Salon Owner	Anne/Red
Sophia Gettys	27	Aurora, Colorado	Stay-at-home Mom	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 17, 2010
Susie Shoman	53	Georgetown, South Carolina		Beau/Blue
Kelly Johnson	31	Scottsdale, Arizona	Corporate litigation attorney	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 10, 2010
David Summey	29	Charlotte, North Carolina	Salesman	Beau/Blue
Wilhelmina Josephine	29	Aliso Viejo, California	Insurance claims adjuster	Beau/Blue	Eliminated on January 3, 2010
Hamed Hamad	27		Journalist and fashion consultant	Anne/Red

Contestant progress and episodes

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Beau

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3		4		5	6
1	Rachel	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	WINNER
2	Jenny*	IN	IN	IN/SWAP	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	2nd	WIN	IN	OUT
7	Sophia*	IN	IN	IN/SWAP	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.^[6] The Food Network also began accepting online video applications for season 2.^[7] Food Network's website announced that Robert Irvine would replace Beau MacMillan for season 2. Season 2 debuted on January 2, 2011.^[8] In this season the chefs had eight recruits each.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Joshua "Joshie" Berger	36	Brooklyn, New York	Attorney	Anne/Red	Winner on February 20, 2011
	38	Chicago, Illinois	Speech pathologist	Robert/Blue
Carlos Manuel	28	Atlanta, Georgia	Banker	Anne/Red	Eliminated on February 13, 2011
Kelsey Milos	22	Kings, Illinois	Hair stylist	Robert/Blue
Kat Rose	37	Newnan, Georgia	Stay-at-home mother	Anne/Red	Eliminated on February 6, 2011
Tyrone "Ty" Miller	33	Trenton, New Jersey	Property manager	Robert/Blue
	43	Sparta, New Jersey	Operating room nurse	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 30, 2011
Kelly Gray	32	New York City	Aerobics instructor	Robert/Blue
Erika Rumsey	27	Elgin, Illinois	Account manager	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 23, 2011
Anna Altomari	44	Aliso Viejo, California	RN Case manager	Robert/Blue
Priscilla Harden	60	Sugar Land, Texas	Retired teacher	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 16, 2011
Matt Crespi	24	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	PhD Student	Robert/Blue
Anthony Scinto	32	Crestwood, Illinois	Mechanical engineer	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 9, 2011
Jeff Longcor	25	Somerville, Massachusetts	Environmental contractor	Robert/Blue
Lina Yu	28	Arcadia, California	Production manager	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 2, 2011
Eric Ricupero	34	Quincy, Massachusetts	Bar owner	Robert/Blue

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Robert

Episode
Rank	Contestant	1	2		3		4		5	6	7		8
1	Joshie	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	9th	IN	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	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/Swap	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
5	Kat*	WIN	IN	BTM	IN	IN	BTM/SWAP	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.

Season 3: 2012

Anne Burrell hosted season 3 with Bobby Flay, who replaced Robert Irvine.^{[9] [10]}

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Kelli Powers	40	Los Angeles, California	Stay-at-home mother	Anne/Red	Winner on April 1, 2012
Vinnie Caligiuri	47	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Mortgage broker	Bobby/Blue	Runner-up on April 1, 2012
Melissa Rhodes	28	Naples, Florida	Nursing Student	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated on March 25, 2012
David Shelton	26	Longview, Texas	Unemployed	Anne/Red
Tiffany Michelle	27	Los Angeles, California	Poker player and actress	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated on March 18, 2012
Dorothy Strouhal	38	Cove, Texas	Make-up artist	Anne/Red
Anthony Schiano	33	Massapequa, New York	Mechanical engineer	Anne/Red	Eliminated on March 11, 2012
Benjamin Dennis	37	Dallas, Texas	Stay-at-home father	Bobby/Blue	Quit on March 11, 2012
Sean "Bennett" Bennett	36	New York City	Automotive Spokesperson	Anne/Red	Eliminated on March 4, 2012
Sarina Weeraprajuk	31	West Covina, California	Wedding photographer	Bobby/Blue
Erica Weidner	53	Long Beach, New York	Court Reporter Student	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated on February 26, 2012
Robert "Bob" Tamke	44		DJ	Anne/Red
	55	New York City	Fundraiser	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated on February 19, 2012
Rachel Margolin	31	New York City	Night Club Promoter	Anne/Red
Richard Chen	55	Queens, New York	Attorney	Anne/Red	Eliminated on February 12, 2012
Libby Floyd	46	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	ShopNBC host^[11]	Bobby/Blue

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Bobby

Rank	Contestant	Episode
	width=5.625%	1	width=11.25% colspan=2	2	width=11.25% colspan=2	3	width=11.25% colspan=2	4	width=11.25% colspan=2	5	width=11.25% colspan=2	6	width=11.25% colspan=2	7	width=11.25%	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	Melissa	IN	IN	IN	IN/SWAP	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
4	David	IN	IN	IN	BTM/SWAP	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

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	Team	Status
Alina Bolshakova	28	Riga, Latvia	Caretaker/Actress	Bobby/Blue	Winner March 31
Rasheeda Brown	30			Anne/Red	Runner-up March 31
Chet Pourciau †	40	New Orleans, Louisiana	Interior designer	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated March 24
	42	Northport, New York	Salon manager	Anne/Red
Carla Johnson	47	Long Beach, California	Alcohol & Drug Counselor	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated March 17
Michael Haydin	25	Rye Brook, New York	Accountant	Anne/Red
Carrie Lee Riggins	32	Carmel, New York	Ballerina/Actress	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated March 10
Crystal Lonneberg	30	Weehawken, New Jersey	Actress/Artist	Anne/Red
Aadip Desai	36	Sacramento, California	Writer/Musician	Anne/Red	Eliminated March 3
Alex Stein	26	Dallas, Texas	Bail Bondsman	Bobby/Blue
	24	Thomson, Georgia	Woodworker	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated February 24
	58	Pleasant Hill, California	Chiropractor	Anne/Red
Tim Burger	42	Novi, Michigan	Former Marine	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated February 17
Diana De Rosa	62	Huntington, New York	Photographer	Anne/Red

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Bobby

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		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	IN	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.

†: Contestant died after filming.

Season 5: 2014

Recruits

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

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Bobby

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		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	Carie	IN	IN	IN	IN/SWAP	IN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
6	Stephanie	IN	IN	BTM	IN/SWAP	IN	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
7	Danielle	IN	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
8	Carol	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	OUT
9	Ken	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
10	Joe	IN	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
11	Lance	BTM	IN	OUT
12	Benji	BTM	IN	OUT
13	Casey	OUT
14	Muneerah	OUT

In Episode 3, Team Anne (red team) won the first challenge. She was allowed to steal one person from Team Bobby (blue team) and send one person from her own team as a replacement. She decided to steal Carie, and sent Stephanie to Team Bobby.

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 joined Anne Burrell to host season 6, replacing Bobby Flay after 3 seasons. The season premiered on January 4, 2015, to 2,123,000 viewers.^[12] The second episode was lower at 1,456,000 viewers,^[13] with the third episode rising to 1,732,000 viewers^[14] and the fourth episode reached 1,689,000 viewers.^[15] the 5th episode reached 1,634,000 viewers. The sixth episode received 1.55 million viewers.^[16]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Kristen Redmond	25	Austin, Texas	Singer/Songwriter	Anne/Red	Winner February 15
Genique Freeman	33	Fayetteville, North Carolina	Esthetician	Tyler/Blue	Runner-up February 15
Sarah Bettendorf	33	Los Angeles, California	Art Teacher	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated February 8
Leopold "Leo" Nunan	36	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Performance Artist	Anne/Red
Norman Wilson	46	Detroit, Michigan	Executive Protection	Anne/Red	Eliminated February 1
Sharif Dean	27	Los Angeles, California	Personal Trainer	Tyler/Blue
David Eric Rosenberg	51	Las Vegas, Nevada	Theatre Usher	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 25
Kortni Montgomery	25	New Orleans, Louisiana	Customer Service Rep	Tyler/Blue
Michael "Six" Muldoon	25	Queens, New York	Magician	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 18
Mike Kennedy	45	Scottsdale, Arizona	Private Investigator	Tyler/Blue
Susie Babin	61	Bush, Louisiana	Retired	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 11
Stephanie Streisand*	25	Los Angeles, California	Writer	Tyler/Blue	Withdrew January 11
Jason Dixon	30	Chicago, Illinois	Artist	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 4
Christina Oster	38	Zion, Illinois	Single Mom	Anne/Red

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

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Tyler

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		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	Sarah	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	WIN	OUT
4	Leo	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	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	Susie	IN	BTM	OUT
12	Stephanie	IN	IN	WDR
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 1

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	Team	Status
Jenni "JWoww" Farley	29	Reality Television Star	Anne/Red	Winner October 28
Kendra Wilkinson	30	Former Playboy Model & Television Personality	Rachel/Blue
Ellen Cleghorne	49	Saturday Night Live Actress	Rachel/Blue	Eliminated October 21
Barry Williams	60	The Brady Bunch Actor	Anne/Red	Eliminated October 14
Chris Soules	33	The Bachelor Star	Anne/Red	Eliminated October 7
Jaleel White	38	Actor, Television Host	Rachel/Blue	Eliminated September 30
Dean Cain	48	Television Actor	Eliminated/White	Eliminated September 23

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Rachael

Rank	Contestant	Episode
	width=11.43%	1	width=11.43%	2	width=11.43%	3	width=11.43%	4	width=11.43%	5	width=22.86%	6
1	Jenni	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Kendra	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	BTM	RUNNER-UP
3	Ellen	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	OUT
4	Barry	BTM	BTM	WIN	OUT
5	Chris	IN	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	Team	Status
Nick Slater	24	Rancho Cucamonga, California	Construction Worker	Anne/Red	Winner February 14
Lawrence Crawford	26	Deptford Township, New Jersey	Army Combat Medic	Tyler/Blue
Ginny Meerman	50	Millersville, Maryland	Project Supervisor	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated February 7
Taylor Hooper	24	Boston, Massachusetts	Marine Veteran	Anne/Red
Holgie Forrester	66	Twentynine Palms, California	Retired/Actress	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 31
Chanda Havard	36	Chicago, Illinois	Real Estate Agent	Anne/Red
Rachel Thomas	27	Tampa, Florida	Stay-at-Home Wife	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 24
Donna Koen	60	Newburyport, Massachusetts	Lunch Lady & Hairdresser	Anne/Red
Ernie Adkins	44	Mardela Springs, Maryland	Truck driver	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 17
Glenda Galeano	40	Miami, Florida	Event Coordinator/Actress	Anne/Red
Cindy Nguyen	28	Las Vegas, Nevada	Bartender	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 10
Ty Snow	39	Pasadena, California	Special Education Teacher	Anne/Red
David Fouts	42	Wales, Wisconsin	Senior Project Manager	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 3
Jeni Erdman	51	Dousman, Wisconsin	Group Tour Coordinator	Tyler/Blue

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Tyler

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		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	BTM	WIN	WIN	BTM	IN	OUT
7	Rachel	BTM	IN	BTM	WIN	WIN	BTM	OUT
8	Donna	IN	BTM	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
9	Ernie	IN	BTM	IN	IN	OUT
10	Glenda	IN	BTM	BTM	BTM	OUT
11	Cindy	IN	IN	OUT
12	Ty	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.^[17]

Recruits

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

Season 10: 2017

Rachael Ray joins Anne Burrell to host season 10. The season premiered on January 1, 2017.^[18]

Starting this season onward, the skill drill and main dish challenge happen on the same day rather one day and the day after.

Recruits

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

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Rachael

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2		3	4	5	6		7		8	9	10
1	Daniel	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	WINNER
2	Ann	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	SAVE	IN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Laura	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	WIN	WIN	IN	OUT
4	Mandy	IN	IN	IN	TIE	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
5	Adam	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
6	Brittany	WIN	IN	IN	TIE	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	OUT
7	Jeff	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
8	Kayla	IN	IN	IN	TIE	SAVE	OUT
9	Maria	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	OUT
10	Matt	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
11	Jake	BTM	IN	IN	OUT
12	Jetta	IN	IN	BTM	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.^{[19] [20]}

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Team	Status
Perez Hilton	39	Gossip Blogger	Rachel/Blue	Winner October 11
Melissa Peterman	46	Actress & Comedian	Anne/Red
Nora Dunn	65	Actress & Comedian	Anne/Red
Vivica A. Fox	53	Actress	Rachel/Blue
Sean Lowe*	33	Reality Star	Rachel/Blue
Carmen Electra	45	Model & Actress	Rachel/Blue
Carson Kressley	47	TV Personality	Anne/Red	Eliminated September 6
Erik Estrada	68	Star of CHiPs	Anne/Red	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 for the second time following the main challenge.

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Rachael

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

(RTN) The contestant won the redemption Skill Drill and returned to the competition.

Season 12: 2018

Tyler Florence joins Anne Burrell to host season 12.

Three contestants from this season—runner-up Steven Crowley, Sharon Shvarzman, and Kevin Pettice—would compete in, and win, season 9 of The Great Food Truck Race.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Hazell Mckenzie	36	Brooklyn, New York	Graduate Student	Anne/Red	Winner March 11
Steven Crowley	31	New York City	Real estate broker	Tyler/Blue	Runner-up March 11
Asaf Goren	25	Los Angeles, California	Dancer	Anne/Red	Eliminated March 4
Sharon Shvarzman	32	Staten Island, New York	Drag Performer	Tyler/Blue
Lacey Stout	28	Collinsville, Oklahoma	Stay-at-Home Mom	Anne/Red	Eliminated February 25
Shatima Ruffin	34	Hampton Roads, Virginia	Receptionist	Tyler/Blue
Robyn Hayden	31	Charleston, South Carolina	Balloon Artist	Anne/Red	Eliminated February 18
Brandon Arroyo	27	Cleveland, Ohio	Sports Reporter	Anne/Red	Eliminated February 11
Spencer Nick	25	Chicago, Illinois	Graduate Student	Tyler/Blue
Sylvia Jefferies	47	Charleston, South Carolina	Stay-at-Home Mom	Anne/Red	Quit January 28
Lily Frey	63	Anaheim, California	Retired	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 28
Skyler Nick	25	Chicago, Illinois	Graduate Student	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 21
Kevin Pettice	24	Charlotte, North Carolina	Administrative Assistant	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 14
Priscilla Nguyen	26	Hattiesburg, Mississippi	Receptionist	Anne/Red
Jonathan Farhat	37	Livermore, California	Safety Professional	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 7
Kayrene Curtis	44	Rocky River, Ohio	Stay-at-Home Mom	Tyler/Blue

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Tyler

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1	Hazell	WIN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Steven	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	TIE	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Asaf	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	OUT
4	Sharon	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	TIE	BTM	OUT
5	Lacey*	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM/SWAP	IN	WIN	OUT
6	Shatima	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	BTM	WIN	BTM	OUT
7	Robyn	IN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	OUT
8	Brandon	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
9	Spencer*	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	BTM/SWAP	OUT
10	Sylvia	IN	BTM	BTM	QUIT
11	Lily	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
12	Skyler	IN	BTM	OUT
13	Kevin	IN	OUT
14	Priscilla	IN	OUT
15	Jonathan	OUT
16	Kayrene	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.

(QUIT) The contestant volunteered to leave the competition.

In episode 5, contestants Lacey and Spencer switch teams instead of being eliminated, Lacey on Chef Anne's Team and Spencer on Chef Tyler's team.

Season 13: Celebrity Edition 4

Tyler Florence returns with Anne Burrell to host season 4 of the Celebrity Edition. This is the first Celebrity Edition to not feature Rachael Ray as a judge. The season premiered on April 15, 2018.^[21]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Team	Status
La Toya Jackson	61	Singer-songwriter	Tyler/Blue	Winner May 20
Ian Ziering	53	Beverly Hills, 90210 star	Anne/Red	Runner-up May 20
Oscar Nunez	59	The Office Star	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated May 13
Catherine Bach	64	The Dukes of Hazzard Star	Anne/Red
Maria Bamford	48	Comedian	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated May 6
Nolan Gould	19	Modern Family Star	Anne/Red	Eliminated April 29
Bronson Pinchot	58	Perfect Strangers star	Anne/Red	Eliminated April 22

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Tyler

Rank	Contestant	Episode
1		2	3	4	5	6
1	La Toya	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Ian	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Oscar	BTM	BTM	BTM	IN	OUT
4	Catherine	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	OUT
5	Maria	IN	IN	IN	OUT
6	Nolan	BTM	IN	OUT
7	Bronson	IN	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 14: 2018

Robert Irvine rejoined Anne Burrell to host season 14.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Bradley Garcia	22	Miami, Florida	Model	Robert/Blue	Winner September 24
Sarah Harris	23	Porum, Oklahoma	Equine Therapist	Anne/Red	Runner-up September 24
Timmy Thok	29	New York City	Underwear Model, Bartender	Robert/Blue	Finalist September 24
Janese Henry	30	Spring Lake, North Carolina	Stay-at-Home Mom	Anne/Red
Carla Waddell	46	Alexandria, Virginia	Human Resources	Anne/Red	Eliminated September 10
Frank Scuderi	40	Maple Shade, New Jersey	Operations Manager	Robert/Blue
Rudy Rehburg	30	Chicago, Illinois	Property Preservation Specialist	Anne/Red	Eliminated September 3
Jessica Paulson	26	Oakley, California	EMT	Robert/Blue
Kimberly D. Worthy	33	Atlanta, Georgia	Writer	Robert/Blue	Eliminated August 26
Copan Combs	30	Stillwater, Oklahoma	Academic Recruiter	Anne/Red
Linda Martin	60	Somerville, Massachusetts	Retired	Anne/Red	Eliminated August 19
Marcus Ellis	51	Queens, New York	Mental Health Counselor	Robert/Blue
Maryann Rapisarda	67	Valdosta, Georgia	Retired	Robert/Blue	Eliminated August 12
Robbie DeRaffele	30	Hackensack, New Jersey	Superman Impersonator	Anne/Red

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Robert

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Bradley	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	IN	WINNER
2	Sarah	WIN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	IN	RUNNER-UP
3	Timmy	IN	WIN	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	FINALIST
4	Janese	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	BTM	IN
5	Carla	IN	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
6	Frank	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
7	Rudy	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
8	Jessica	IN	IN	IN	OUT
9	Kimberly	IN	BTM	OUT
10	Copan	BTM	IN	OUT
11	Linda	IN	OUT
12	Marcus	BTM	OUT
13	Maryann	OUT
14	Robbie	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 15: 2019

Tyler Florence joins Anne Burrell to host season 15. Since the number of contestants is odd, one of them is eliminated before getting into the teams.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Allison Wolfe	31	Richmond, Texas	Stay-at-home Mom	Anne/Red	Winner March 3
Brittany Carel	23	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	Model	Tyler/Blue
Travele Judon	32	Chicago, Illinois	Insurance Sales	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated February 24
Brett Azar	31	Rahway, New Jersey	Arnold Schwarzenegger Body Double	Anne/Red
Carmelle Bull	66	Atlanta, Georgia	Server	Anne/Red	Eliminated February 17
Mickey Wentz	50	Denver, Colorado	Math Teacher	Tyler/Blue
Katherine "Kat" Schuessler^[22]	27	Kent, Ohio	Fast Food Employee	Anne/Red	Eliminated February 3
Cameron Pennington	19	Grayson, Kentucky	Sandwich Artist	Tyler/Blue
Antoinette Wills	49	Washington D.C.	Secretary	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 27
Terry Yu	52	Stockton, California	Prison Pharmacist	Anne/Red
Alten Poblete	27		Dog Walker	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 20
Sponjetta Parrish	40	Athens, Georgia	Online Saleswoman	Anne/Red
Cody Medler	24	Los Angeles, California	Service Car Driver	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated January 13
Caitlin Rose	32	Brick, New Jersey	Salon Receptionist	Anne/Red
Chaz Oakley	53	Ninilchik, Alaska	Artist	Eliminiated/White	Eliminated January 6

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Tyler

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	Allison	IN	IN	BTM	IN	BTM	WIN	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Brittany	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Travele	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	BTM	OUT
4	Brett	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	OUT
5	Carmelle	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	OUT
6	Mickey	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	IN	BTM	OUT
7	Kat	IN	BTM	IN	BTM	OUT
8	Cameron	BTM	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
9	Antoinette	WIN	IN	BTM	OUT
10	Terry	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
11	Alten	IN	BTM	OUT
12	Sponjetta	BTM	IN	OUT
13	Cody	BTM	OUT
14	Caitlin	BTM	OUT
15	Chaz	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.

• Chaz was eliminated after the baseline challenge because his dish was the worst.

Season 16: Celebrity Edition 5

Tyler Florence returns with Anne Burrell to host the fifth run of the Celebrity Edition. The season premiered on April 21, 2019.^[23]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Team	Status
Tonya Harding	48	Retired Figure Skater/Reality TV Personality	Anne/Red	Winner June 2
Alec Mapa	53	Actor/Comedian/Writer	Tyler/Blue
Jim J. Bullock	64	Actor/Comedian	Anne/Red	Eliminated May 26
Kym Whitley	57	Comedian/Actress	Tyler/Blue
Jonathan Lipnicki	28	Actor/Producer	Anne/Red	Eliminated May 12
Morgan Fairchild	69	Actress	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated May 5
Taryn Manning	40	Actress/Singer	Anne/Red	Walked off show April 28
Jimmie Walker	71	Actor/Comedian	Eliminated/White	Eliminated April 21

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Tyler

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Tonya	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	WIN	WINNER
2	Alec	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	BTM	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Jim	WIN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
4	Kym	WIN	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
5	Jonathan	BTM	BTM	BTM	OUT
6	Morgan	IN	IN	OUT
7	Taryn	IN	QUIT
8	Jimmie	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.

(QUIT) The contestant volunteered to leave the competition.

Season 17: 2019

Bobby Flay joins Anne Burrell to host season 17. The season, featuring 14 recruits, debuted on August 4, 2019.^[24]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Adrian Read	29	Bronx, New York	Zumba Instructor for Seniors	Bobby/Blue	Winner September 22
Juliann Sheldon	28	Charlotte, North Carolina	Professional Cheerleader	Anne/Red
Kayla Longstreth	23	Firestone, Colorado	Dance Instructor	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated September 15
Father Adam Young	34	Cranston, Rhode Island	Priest	Anne/Red
Gina Lam	28	San Diego, California	Banker	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated September 8
Peter Smerlas	36	Waltham, Massachusetts		Anne/Red
Laith Wallschleger	26	Tampa, Florida	Former Professional Football Player	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated September 1
Sharon Grant	53	Dallas, Texas	Minister	Anne/Red
Mercedes "Sadie" Manda	20	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	College Student	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated August 25
Karma Ann Moody	47	Hayesville, North Carolina	Bridal Shop Owner	Anne/Red
Jonathan Beyer	37	New York, New York	Opera singer	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated August 11
Terry Grawey	62	Peoria, Illinois	Hypnotist	Anne/Red
Idriss Allison	30	Bronx, New York	Transformational Coach	Bobby/Blue	Eliminated August 4
Nina Kharoufeh	25	Cliffside Park, New Jersey	News Curator	Anne/Red

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Bobby

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3		4	5	6	7	8
1	Adrian*	WIN	IN	IN/SWAP	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	WINNER
2	Juliann	IN	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Kayla	BTM	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	OUT
4	Adam	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	BTM	BTM	WIN	OUT
5	Gina	IN	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	BTM	OUT
6	Peter	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	IN	OUT
7	Laith	IN	BTM	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
8	Sharon*	IN	IN	IN/SWAP	IN	WIN	OUT
9	Sadie	WIN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
10	Karma	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
11	Jonathan	IN	OUT
12	Terry	BTM	OUT
13	Idriss	OUT
14	Nina	OUT

• Since the Red Team won the Ice Cream Skill Drill game in Week 3, Chef Anne had the choice of taking one of the Blue recruits and swapping with one of her own. She chose Adrian from her own team and Sharon from the Blue Team to swap.

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 18: 2020

Alton Brown joins Anne Burrell to host season 18. The season, featuring 16 recruits, premiered on January 5, 2020.^[25]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Shannon Akins	24	Tempe, Arizona	Aspiring Cosmetologist	Anne/Red	Winner March 8
Leo Lech	58	Washington, West Virginia	Chemist	Alton/Blue
Leslie Rivera-Silva	35	Washington, D.C.	Hairstylist	Anne/Red	Eliminated March 1
Kelly Ngoc Mac	55	Pasadena, California	Fitness Instructor	Alton/Blue
Michael "Mike" Jones-Better	24	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	EMT	Alton/Blue	Eliminated February 23
Bridget Praytor	41	Colorado Springs, Colorado	Volleyball Coach	Anne/Red
Monica Colwell	25	Hazard, Kentucky	ER Records Coordinator	Alton/Blue	Eliminated February 9
Dr. Lulu Boykin	67	Pittsboro, North Carolina	Teaching Artist	Anne/Red
Jefferson Goldie	36	Chicago, Illinois	Concierge	Alton/Blue	Eliminated February 2
Ryan Grovey	30	Phoenix, Arizona	Mortician/Fitness Instructor	Anne/Red
Jolynn Singh	52	Allen, Texas	Nurse	Alton/Blue	Eliminated January 26
Curtis Long	38	Seneca, South Carolina	Plumber	Anne/Red
Kevin So	24	Brooklyn, New York	Online Marketing	Alton/Blue	Eliminated January 12
Alexandra "Alex" Tiso	23	Eastchester, New York	Radio Promotions Assistant	Anne/Red
Joe Deese	30	Fultondale, Alabama	Inventory Clerk	Alton/Blue	Eliminated January 5
Dakota Klaes	30	New York, New York	Account Executive	Anne/Red

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Alton

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1	Shannon	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Leo	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Leslie	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	BTM	BTM	BTM	OUT
4	Kelly	BTM	WIN	BTM	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	BTM	OUT
5	Mike	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
6	Bridget	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	OUT
7	Monica	IN	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	OUT
8	Lulu	IN	BTM	BTM	WIN	BTM	OUT
9	Jefferson	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
10	Ryan	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
11	Jolynn	IN	BTM	BTM	OUT
12	Curtis	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
13	Kevin	IN	OUT
14	Alex	IN	OUT
15	Joe	OUT
16	Dakota	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.

In episode 4, Chef Alton deemed the recruits' performances in the Main Dish challenge are too flawed to declare a winner in his team.

Season 19: Celebrity Edition 6

Tyler Florence returns with Anne Burrell to host the sixth run of the Celebrity Edition. The season premiered on May 10, 2020.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Team	Status
Wells Adams	35	Bachelor in Paradise Star	Anne/Red	Winner June 14
Johnny Bananas	37	The Challenge Star	Tyler/Blue
Dave Coulier	60	Full House Star	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated June 7
Bridget Everett	47	Comedian & Actress	Anne/Red
Robin Givens	55	Actress	Anne/Red	Eliminated May 31
Sonja Morgan	56	The Real Housewives of New York City Star	Anne/Red	Eliminated May 24
Brian Posehn	53	Comedian and Actor	Tyler/Blue	Eliminated May 17

Contestant progress

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6
1	Wells	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	WINNER
2	Johnny	BTM	WIN	BTM	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Dave	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	OUT
4	Bridget	IN	IN	IN	WIN	OUT
5	Robin	WIN	IN	WIN	OUT
6	Sonja	BTM	BTM	OUT
7	Brian	IN	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 20: 2020

Alex Guarnaschelli joins Anne Burrell to host season 20. The season debuted on June 21, 2020.^[26]

The entire run of this season, along with text summaries of it, was pulled from all Discovery platforms on January 23, 2021, after the season's champion, Ariel Robinson, was charged with homicide by child abuse with her husband for the racially motivated murder^[27] of her three-year-old adopted daughter.^{[28] [29]}

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Ariel "Ari" Robinson	28	Simpsonville, South Carolina	Teacher	Alex/Blue	Winner August 2
Zack Ignoffo	26	Chicago, Illinois	Model	Anne/Red
Dolores Aguilar-Fernandez	45	Cypress, Texas	Recruiter	Anne/Red	Eliminated July 26
Darian Barnes	40	Rahway, New Jersey	Teacher/Ex-Football Player	Alex/Blue
Domaine Javier	28	San Gabriel, California	Nursing Supervisor/Trans Actress-Writer	Anne/Red	Eliminated July 19
Eric Smart	59	Los Angeles, California	Special Investigator	Alex/Blue
Louisa Sharamatyan	30	Glendale, California	Social Media Manager	Alex/Blue	Eliminated July 12
Evan Baker	35	Bismarck, North Dakota	Professional Fundraiser	Anne/Red
Denise Schroder	47	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Real Estate Agent	Anne/Red	Eliminated July 5
Johannes "Yo" Phelps	46	Davenport, Iowa	Realtor	Alex/Blue
Erin Sullivan	38	Mayfield, Kentucky	Federal Employee	Anne/Red	Eliminated June 28
Brianna Weidenbach	24	Martin, Tennessee	Caregiver	Alex/Blue
Holly Brooks	66	Lancaster, Pennsylvania	Intuitive Psychic Counselor	Alex/Blue	Eliminated June 21
Julie "Jewels" McIlroy	50	Syracuse, New York	Community Habilitation Specialist	Anne/Red

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Alex

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4		5		6	7
1	Ari	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	WIN	WINNER
2	Zack	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Dolores	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	OUT
4	Darian	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	OUT
5	Domaine	IN	WIN	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
6	Eric	IN	IN	BTM	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
7	Louisa	IN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
8	Evan	IN	BTM	BTM	IN	OUT
9	Denise	BTM	IN	OUT
10	Yo	WIN	BTM	OUT
11	Erin	IN	OUT
12	Brianna	BTM	OUT
13	Holly	OUT
14	Jewels	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 21: 2021

Carla Hall joins Anne Burrell to host season 21. The season debut on January 3, 2021, with a 90-minute premiere. Immediately following, spin-off companion series begins its first-ever run.^[30] The show sees former boot camp contestants and comedians commenting on past episodes.^[31]

An additional twist added this season is the "Danger Zone," in which the worst recruit on each team in the Skill Drill must cook their Main Dish at the stations used by Burrell and Hall in demonstrating the recipe, giving the mentors the ability to keep a close eye on them as they cook.

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Amber Leverette	37	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Bartender	Carla/Blue	Winner February 28
Cameron Bartlett	20	Norman, Oklahoma	Student	Anne/Red
Jonathan "JJ" Hurt^[32]	35	Atlanta, Georgia	Tech Support Supervisor	Anne/Red	Finalist February 28
Chandali Gullick	29	Wichita, Kansas	Customer Service	Carla/Blue
McKayla Carter	21	Blackshear, Georgia	Model	Anne/Red	Eliminated February 14
Tiffany Billingsly	35	Greenwood, Indiana	Music Teacher	Carla/Blue
Ayesha Dwyer	43	Wadsworth, Illinois	Children's Book Author	Carla/Blue	Eliminated January 31
Laura Marie Moore	23	Los Angeles, California	NHL Cheerleader	Anne/Red
Joey Kinsley	26	Rocky River, Ohio	Digital Marketing Specialist	Carla/Blue	Eliminated January 17
Mo Nooreldin		Kirkland, Washington	Dental Assistant	Anne/Red
Stephanie James	40	Chicago, Illinois	Postal Clerk	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 10
Watik Aleem		Aurora, Colorado	Army Veteran	Carla/Blue
Jonathan Hanna		New York, New York	Hand Model	Carla/Blue	Eliminated January 3
Joy Blessing	65	Jacksonville, Florida	Wedding Officiant	Anne/Red

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Carla

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	Amber	WIN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	IMM	IN	WINNER
2	Cameron	BTM	BTM	IN	BTM	WIN	WIN	IN	RUNNER-UP
3	JJ	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	BTM	IN	FINALIST
4	Chandali*	IN	IN	BTM	BTM/SWAP	IN	WIN	IN
5	McKayla*	BTM	WIN	BTM	BTM/SWAP	IN	OUT
6	Tiffany	IN	BTM	IN	BTM	WIN	OUT
7	Ayesha	IN	IN	IN	WIN	OUT
8	Laura	IN	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
9	Joey	IN	IN	OUT
10	Mo	IN	WIN	OUT
11	Stephanie	IN	OUT
12	Watik	IN	OUT
13	Jonathan	OUT
14	Joy	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.

(IMM) The contestant won immunity and was safe from elimination in the week's Main Dish Challenge.

(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 instead of being eliminated.

Season 22: Best of the Worst

Michael Symon joins Anne Burrell for the first time to host a new Best of the Worst season where fan-favorite recruits from past seasons return for another chance at redemption. The season premiered on April 25, 2021.^[33]

Recruits

Contestant	Original Season	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Mercedes “Sadie” Manda	Season 17	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Non-Profit Associate	Anne/Red	Winner May 30
Domaine Javier	Season 20	San Gabriel, California	Trans Actress, Writer, Nurse	Michael/Blue
Stephanie James	Season 21	Chicago, Illinois	Postal Clerk	Anne/Red	Finalist May 30
Dr. Lulu Boykin	Season 18	Pittsboro, North Carolina	Teaching Artist	Michael/Blue
Jefferson Goldie	Season 18	Chicago, Illinois	Musician	Michael/Blue	Eliminated May 23
Jonathan Beyer	Season 17	New York, New York	Opera Singer	Anne/Red	Eliminated May 16
Eric Smart	Season 20	Los Angeles, California	Special Investigator	Michael/Blue	Eliminated May 9
Joey Kinsley	Season 21	Cleveland, Ohio	Digital Marketing Specialist	Anne/Red	Eliminated May 2

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Michael

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6
1	Sadie	WIN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WINNER
2	Domaine	WIN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Stephanie	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	BTM	FINALIST
4	Lulu	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN
5	Jefferson	BTM	BTM	IN	BTM	OUT
6	Jonathan	BTM	IN	IMM	OUT
7	Eric	IN	WIN	OUT
8	Joey	IN	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.

(IMM) The contestant won immunity and was safe from elimination in the week's Main Dish Challenge.

(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 23: 2022

Cliff Crooks joins Anne Burrell to host season 23. The season debuted on January 5, 2022.

This season features two additional twists. First, the cast includes 5 pairs of recruits with previously established relationships: Angie & Cheyenne (long-lost cousins), Bianca & Hector (married), Deneise & Hilda (neighbors), Eddie & Kara (married), and Marti & Peachez (best friends). Second, this season features alternating elimination weeks for each team, with the winning recruit on the non-eliminating team receiving a $1,000 prize each week.

Recruits

Contestant	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Peachez Iman-Cummings	New York City	Drag performer	Cliff/Blue	Winner February 23
Marti Cummings	New York City	Drag Artist	Anne/Red
Kara Anderson	Leitchfield, Kentucky	English Teacher	Anne/Red	Finalist February 23
Cheyenne Loomis	London, Kentucky	Case Worker	Cliff/Blue
Eddie Anderson	Leitchfield, Kentucky	Art Teacher	Cliff/Blue	Eliminated February 16
Hilda Ike	Poinciana, Florida	Fitness Instructor	Anne/Red
Bianca Bencosme	York, Pennsylvania	Stay-At-Home Mom	Cliff/Blue	Eliminated February 9
Al Kingswriter	Tony, Wisconsin	Truck Driver	Anne/Red
Angie Hartford-Padilla	San Jose, California	Executive Assistant	Anne/Red	Eliminated February 2
Melody Moore	Atlanta, Georgia	Beauty Bar Owner	Cliff/Blue	Quit January 26
Hector Peralta	York, Pennsylvania	Data Analyst	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 19
Deneise White	Poinciana, Florida	IT Manager	Cliff/Blue	Eliminated January 12

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Cliff

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	Peachez	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Marti	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	RUNNER-UP
3	Kara	IN	BTM	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	FINALIST
4	Cheyenne	IN	IN	IN	BTM*	IN	BTM	BTM
5	Eddie	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
6	Hilda	IN	WIN	BTM	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
7	Bianca	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
8	Al	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
9	Angie	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	OUT
10	Melody	IN	IN	IN	QUIT
11	Hector	BTM	IN	OUT
12	Deneise	BTM	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.

(QUIT) The contestant volunteered to leave the competition.In Episode 4, Cheyenne was originally eliminated. Melody, feeling Cheyenne deserved to stay, voluntarily left the competition and gave Cheyenne her spot.

Season 24: Celebrity Edition That's So 90's

Jeff Mauro joins Anne Burrell to host the seventh run of the Celebrity Edition. The season premiered on April 24, 2022.^[34]

Recruits

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Team	Status
Tracey Gold	52	Growing Pains star	Anne/Red	Winner May 29
Jodie Sweetin	40	Full House and Fuller House star	Jeff/Blue
Elisa Donovan	51	Clueless star	Anne/Red	Finalist May 29
Matthew Lawrence	42	Mrs. Doubtfire star	Jeff/Blue
Mark Long	50	Road Rules star	Anne/Red	Eliminated May 22
Jennie Kwan	48	California Dreams star	Jeff/Blue	Eliminated May 15
Lori Beth Denberg	46	All That star	Jeff/Blue	Eliminated May 15
Nicholle Tom	43	The Nanny star	Anne/Red	Eliminated May 8
Curtis Williams	34	The Parent 'Hood star	Jeff/Blue	Eliminated May 1

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Jeff

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Tracey	IN	IN	IN	IMM	WIN	IN	WINNER
2	Jodie	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Elisa	BTM	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	WIN	FINALIST
4	Matthew	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM
5	Mark	WIN	IN	WIN	BTM	IN	OUT
6	Jennie	WIN	WIN	BTM	IN	OUT
7	Lori Beth	IN	IN	IN	OUT
8	Nicholle	IN	BTM	OUT
9	Curtis	BTM	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.

(IMM) The contestant won immunity and was safe from elimination in the week's Main Dish Challenge.

(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 25: Viral Sensations

Darnell Ferguson joins Anne Burrell to host the first run of Viral Sensations. The season premiered on January 1, 2023.^[34]

During this season, a new gimmick to the show has been added. It is known as a Chef Like, which is a pin awarded to the winner of the Skill Drill Challenge on both teams and the Main Dish Challenge on both teams. The respective mentor of the team decides the winner. The recruit who accumulates the most will have a game-changing advantage. In episode 5, the recruit with the most Chef Likes on each team was able to choose one team member to switch to the opposite team. Paris, who had the most on the red team, chose Eliza to switch to Blue, whereas Michael, who had the most on the Blue team, chose Rich to switch to red. During this episode, there was no elimination.

Recruits

Contestant	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Nick Trawick	Los Angeles, California	Social media influencer	Anne/Red	Winner February 5
Michael Judson Berry	Jersey City, New Jersey	Actor	Darnell/Blue
Paris Nicholson	Los Angeles, California	Social media influencer	Anne/Red	Finalist February 5
NaJe' Elmore	Texarkana, Texas	Social media influencer	Darnell/Blue
David Chen	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	Flight attendant	Darnell/Blue	Eliminated January 29
Tessica Brown	Violet, Louisiana	Stay at home mom	Anne/Red
Eliza Petersen	West Jordan, Utah	Amateur paleontologist	Darnell/Blue	Eliminated January 29
Rich Aronovitch	New York City	Professional comedian	Anne/Red
Mitchell Tyler Ralston	Huntington Beach, California	Ghost Hunter	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 22
Sabrina Rios	Los Angeles, California	Social media influencer	Darnell/Blue
Tina Kim	Los Angeles, California	Social media influencer	Darnell/Blue	Eliminated January 15
Adam Kreutinger	Buffalo, New York	Puppeteer	Anne/Red	Eliminated January 8

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Darnell

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	Nick	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	BTM	BTM	WINNER
2	Michael	IN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	BTM	RUNNER-UP
3	Paris	BTM	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	WIN	FINALIST
4	NaJe'	IN	WIN	WIN	BTM	IN	WIN	WIN
5	David	BTM	IN	IN	IN	BTM	IN	OUT
6	Tessica	IN	BTM	IN	BTM	BTM	WIN	OUT
7	Eliza*	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	IN/Swap	OUT
8	Rich*	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM/Swap	OUT
9	Mitchell	IN	IN	IN	OUT
10	Sabrina	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
11	Tina	IN		IN	OUT
12	Adam	IN	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.

(IMM) The contestant won immunity and was safe from elimination in the week's Main Dish Challenge.

(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.

*Denotes that this recruit was originally part of a different team but due to a twist element in episode 5, were swapped.

Season 26: Love at First Bite

Jeff Mauro joins Anne Burrell to host Love at First Bite. The season premiered on August 6, 2023.^[35]

This season features a cast of single recruits eager to learn some cooking skills to impress future dates. As a twist, recruits were selected in pairs to join the Red or Blue Team. Pairs will compete together in all Skill Drills and share a work station for all cooks. The pairs are:

• Allegra & Michael (Blue Team)
• Amy & Etherio (Red Team)
• Jessica & Kermit (Blue Team)
• Lou & Denz (Red Team)
• Sami & James (Red Team)
• Sterling & Matthew (Blue Team)
• Terri & Charles (Red Team)
• Toneata & Zach (Blue Team)

The winner of each team's Skill Drill cook receives the power to "recouple" by staying with their current partner or choosing a different one. In Episode 2, Michael was the first to recouple by choosing Sterling as his new partner, while James chose to stay with Sami. In Episode 3, Terri chose Etherio as her new partner, thus leaving Charles in the "Singles Zone", where only one person will occupy a station, while Jessica chose to stay with Kermit. Sterling was automatically paired with Allegra since Michael withdrew in Episode 3. In Episode 4, Etherio chose to be in the "Singles Zone", thus leaving Terri to pair up with Lou, while Kermit chose Toneata as his new partner, thus leaving Jessica to pair up with Zach. In Episode 5, Terri chose to stay with Lou, while Jessica chose to be in the "Singles Zone", thus leaving Zach to pair up with Kermit. From Episode 6 onwards though, there were no more chances to "recouple" after winning a Skill Drill cook.

Though they'll compete in pairs, only one recruit will win the $25,000 grand prize. Eliminations are based on individual performance. Note that there is no Bottom 2 for the Blue Team in Week 3 since Michael withdrew from the competition that week, so Week 3 is elimination week for the Red Team only. There is also no Bottom 2 for the Red Team in Week 4 since Charles withdrew from the competition that week, so Week 4 is elimination week for the Blue Team only.

Recruits

Contestant	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Jessica Singer	Los Angeles, California	Comedian/Pet Sitter	Jeff/Blue	Winner September 10
Samantha "Sami" White^[36]	Chicago, Illinois	Drag King	Anne/Red
Louisa "Lou" Tocquie	Rochester, New York	Home Health Aide	Anne/Red	Finalist September 10
Sterling Quinn	New York City	Fashion Designer/Content Creator	Jeff/Blue
Etherio Noon	Chicago, Illinois	Model	Anne/Red	Eliminated September 10
Allegra Melton	Jonesboro, Arkansas	Personal Trainer	Jeff/Blue
Zach Russell	New York City	Business Development Director	Jeff/Blue	Eliminated September 3
James Bates	Hammond, Louisiana	Content Creator	Anne/Red
Kermit Moss Jr.	Costa Mesa, California	Music Producer	Jeff/Blue	Eliminated August 27
Terri Arcelia	Atlanta, Georgia	Bartender	Anne/Red
Toneata Morgan	Los Angeles, California	Actress/Model	Jeff/Blue	Eliminated August 27
Charles Osborne*	New York City	Actor/Comedian/Writer	Anne/Red	Withdrew August 27
Denz Mooney	Long Island, New York	Content Creator	Anne/Red	Eliminated August 20
Michael Kazakov*	Staten Island, New York	Demolition Man	Jeff/Blue	Withdrew August 20
Matthew Militello	Los Angeles, California	Makeup Artist	Jeff/Blue	Eliminated August 13
Amy Solomon	Las Vegas, Nevada	Professional Organizer	Anne/Red

• Contestant Michael Kazakov was deemed too ill to continue on August 20
• Contestant Charles Osborne was deemed too ill to continue on August 27

Contestant progress

Red

Team Anne

Blue

Team Jeff

Rank	Contestant	Episode
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	Jessica	BTM	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	WINNER
2	Sami	IN	IN	BTM	WIN	WIN	IN	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Lou	BTM	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	BTM	FINALIST
4	Sterling	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	WIN
5	Etherio	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
6	Allegra	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	OUT
7	Zach	IN	IN	WIN	IN	BTM	OUT
8	James	IN	IN	IN	IN	BTM	OUT
9	Kermit	BTM	BTM	IN	BTM	OUT
10	Terri	IN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
11	Toneata	IN	IN	IN	OUT
12	Charles	IN	WIN	IN	WDR
13	Denz	BTM	BTM	OUT
14	Michael	IN	WIN	WDR
15	Matthew	IN	OUT
16	Amy	IN	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.

(WDR) The contestant withdrew from the competition due to illness.

Season 27: Spoiled Rotten

Tiffany Derry joins Anne Burrell to host Spoiled Rotten. The season premiered on January 7, 2024.

Recruits

Contestant	Hometown	Occupation	Team	Status
Stacey Loper	Hoover, Alabama	Grief Recovery Counselor	Tiffany/Blue	Winner February 4, 2024
Leona McTaggart-Chapman	Cresaptown, Maryland	Day Program Manager	Anne/Red
Carrington Gilbert	Houston, Texas	Stay-At-Home Daughter	Anne/Red	Finalist February 4, 2024
Micaela Minner	Akron, Ohio	Pro Softball Player	Tiffany/Blue
Erika Coleman	New Orleans, Louisiana	Makeup Artist and Stylist	Anne/Red	Eliminated on February 4, 2024
Chelsko Thompson	Seattle, Washington	Social Media Manager	Tiffany/Blue
Jesse Money	Malibu, California	Singer/Songwriter	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 28, 2024
Serious Williams	Chicago, Illinois	Psychiatric Assistant	Tiffany/Blue
Ebie Wright	Los Angeles, California	Pop Singer	Tiffany/Blue	Eliminated on January 28, 2024
Frankie Cena	Burbank, California	Public Speaking Academy Manager and former Mr. Canada	Anne/Red
Avi Boodram	Christiana, Delaware	Investment Banker	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 21, 2024
Joel Alvarado	Indianapolis, Indiana	Goober TV Character Impersonator	Tiffany/Blue
Steve Crawford	Los Angeles, California	Magician	Anne/Red	Eliminated on January 14, 2024
Costa Georgopoulos	San Pablo, California	Maintenance Painter	Tiffany/Blue
Elena Catlin	Wesley Chapel, Florida	Teacher, Piano player and Author	Eliminated/White	Eliminated on January 7, 2024
Cathy Jacobson	Vernon Hills, Illinois	Dance Teacher	Eliminated/White

Mentor records

Mentor	Wins	Losses	Win Pct.%
Alex Guarnaschelli	1	0	100%
Carla Hall	1	0	100%
Cliff Crooks	1	0	100%
Tiffany Derry	1	0	100%
Bobby Flay	3	1	75%
Anne Burrell	15	12	58%
Rachael Ray	2	2	50%
Jeff Mauro	1	1	50%
Robert Irvine	1	1	50%
Tyler Florence	1	6	14%
Alton Brown	0	1	0%
Beau MacMillan	0	1	0%
Darnell Ferguson	0	1	0%
Michael Symon	0	1	0%

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lynch. Rene. 'Worst Cooks in America' isn't just a title: They're horrible. Los Angeles Times. January 2, 2010. February 14, 2013.
2. Tucker. Ken. 'Worst Cooks in America': Worst thing I watched most of last night. Entertainment Weekly. January 4, 2010. February 14, 2013.
3. Web site: 2020-11-30. Worst Cooks in America, Dirty Dishes: Food Network Reveals Premiere Dates. 2020-12-26. canceled + renewed TV shows - TV Series Finale. en-US.
4. Web site: Worst Cooks in America: Red Team (Chef Anne Burrell). Food Network. February 14, 2013.
5. Web site: Worst Cooks in America: Blue Team (Chef Beau MacMillan). Food Network. February 14, 2013.
6. Web site: Scattergood. Amy. Casting Calls: Season 2 of Worst Cooks in America Wants You!. LA Weekly Blogs. March 16, 2010. August 1, 2012. https://archive.today/20120708024841/http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2010/03/worst_cooks_in_america_casting.php. July 8, 2012. dead.
7. Web site: Food Network is currently casting hopeless home cooks!!. Worst Cook Casting. March 8, 2010. August 1, 2012.
8. Web site: Powered by Google Docs. Google. August 1, 2012.
9. Web site: Superstar Chefs Anne Burrell And Bobby Flay Transform Kitchen-Challenged Contestants in Season Three of Primetime Competition Series Worst Cooks in America. MultiVu. February 14, 2013.
10. Web site: WORST COOKS IN AMERICA: Season Three – Contestant Overview. MultiVu. February 14, 2013.
11. Web site: National Television Host on Shop NBC. Libby Floyd. August 1, 2012.
12. Web site: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.4.2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150109105511/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-25-sunday-cable-originals-1-4-2015.html. dead. January 9, 2015. . January 30, 2015.
13. Web site: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.11.2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150114082011/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-25-sunday-cable-originals-1-11-2015.html. dead. January 14, 2015. . January 30, 2015.
14. Web site: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.18.2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150122014029/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-25-sunday-cable-originals-1-18-2015.html. dead. January 22, 2015. . January 30, 2015.
15. Web site: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 1.25.2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150128194608/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-25-sunday-cable-originals-1-25-2015.html. dead. January 28, 2015. . January 30, 2015.
16. Web site: Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Better Call Saul', 'Talking Dead', 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' & More. https://web.archive.org/web/20150210190749/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/02/10/sunday-cable-ratings-the-walking-dead-tops-night-better-call-saul-talking-dead-the-real-housewives-of-atlanta-more/361257/. dead. February 10, 2015. TV by the Numbers. Amanda. Kondolojy. February 10, 2015. February 10, 2015.
17. Web site: Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.14.2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160917212050/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-wednesday-cable-originals-network-finals-9-14-2016.html. dead. September 17, 2016. Metcalf. Mitch. September 17, 2016. ShowBuzzDaily. September 15, 2016.
18. News: Anne Burrell and Rachael Ray Kick Off the New Year with Season 10 of Worst Cooks in America FN Dish – Food Network Blog. November 23, 2016. FN Dish – Food Network Blog. 7 December 2016.
19. Web site: Social Media Food Failures. Food Network.
20. Web site: Worst Cooks in America, Season 11: Meet the Celebrity Recruits. Food Com.
21. Web site: A Fresh Batch of Cooking-Challenged Celebrities Enter Boot Camp. Food Network.
22. Web site: Kat Schuessler of Kent adds skills on Food Network's 'Worst Cooks in America' - cleveland.com. Cleveland.com. Advance Publications. Snook. Debbi. January 9, 2019. December 9, 2022.
23. Web site: Will Food Network Greenlight Worst Cooks in America for Season 26?. premieredate.news.
24. Web site: Nowhere to Go But Up. Food Network.
25. Web site: Bottom's Up. Food Network.
26. Web site: Meet the Recruits . 23 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200614193845/https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/worst-cooks-in-america/photos/worst-cooks-season-20-meet-the-recruits . June 14, 2020.
27. Web site: Malkin: The matter of Tori Rose Smith's life. MICHELLE. MALKIN. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
28. News: 'Worst Cooks in America' winner and former teacher charged in 3-year-old girl's homicide along with husband. Gore. Thomas. 20 January 2021. WHNS. 24 January 2021.
29. News: Worst Cooks in America Season Pulled After Winner's Arrest for Child Murder. Caruso. Nick. 23 January 2021. TVLine. 24 January 2021.
30. Web site: Worst Cooks in America. www.foodnetwork.com.
31. Web site: 2020-11-30. Worst Cooks in America, Dirty Dishes: Food Network Reveals Premiere Dates. 2020-12-26. canceled + renewed my TV shows - TV Series Finale. en-US.
32. Web site: Instagram. June 24, 2022.
33. Web site: 2021-03-18. Michael Symon Joins Anne Burrell to Mentor Fan-Favorite Recruits Toward A Chance to Redemption Worst Cooks in America: Best of the Worst. 2021-03-19. Discovery LLC Press Release. en-US.
34. Web site: Knolle . Sharon . Lash . Jolie . Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition: That's So 90s Cast . TheWrap . March 17, 2022 . March 16, 2022.
35. Web site: Love at First Bite: Fiery First Date. FoodNetwork.com. August 11, 2023.
36. Web site: Food Network's 'Worst Cooks in America' to feature Fishers' Sami White. The Indianapolis Star. Gannett. July 25, 2023. October 9, 2023.

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