Its fun to watch people who are at the top of their profession compete in challenges. Thats why there are so many competition shows on TV these days. But its also fun to watch people who are really bad at something try their hand at said task. Case in point: the Food Network show Worst Cooks in America.
The premise is simple: two professional chefs pick teams out of a pool of contestants who are truly awful in the kitchen. Everyone goes through a quick training session before being put to the test in various cooking competitions. The worst cooks are eliminated until the last person standing is named the best of the worst and receives a cash prize. The chefs in charge — which have included Anne Burrell, Bobby Flay, Beau MacMillan, Robert Irvine, Rachael Ray, Tyler Florence, and Alex Guarnaschelli — get the satisfaction of knowing they made at least one person a better home cook.
Worst Cooks in America has the kind of longevity that most competition shows can only dream of. Its lasted a full 20 seasons so far and has inspired one spin-off. Its also made Food Network history by featuring the first openly transgender woman on the network. Heres what else you need to know before getting too deep in the back catalog of all things Worst Cooks in America.
Worst Cooks in America is an American reality television series that premiered on January 3, 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.
Worst Cooks in America boot camp is a culinary school crash course
While the competition portion of Worst Cooks in America typically gets the most attention for the high pressure fails, the boot camp where the contestants learn is where the real magic happens. Here, the chefs teach their groups of contestants how to use kitchen tools and which flavors go together. In an episode from the first season, for example, Burrell teaches the contestants everything they need to know about how to make a Tuscan soup, from the difference between a clove and a bulb of garlic to the proper way to devein a shrimp.
In an interview with People in 2019, Burrell called the boot camp “a crash culinary school course.” A season 15 contestant named Brittany Carel told the Miami New Times that the contestants start boot camp at dawn every day to learn and face spontaneous challenges.
“We really put the recruits through the wringer,” Burrell told People. “We ask a lot of them and I tell people on the first day, whether youre here for a little bit of time or youre here all the way to the end, being on this show will change your life. If you leave boot camp without having learned anything it means you didnt want to. I dont think one recruit in the 15 seasons that weve done can say that they left without learning anything.”
Worst Cooks in America contestants are by many accounts, actually that bad
Casual viewers posting on sites like Reddit arent the only ones with doubts. Contestant interviews with local newspapers and publications frequently return to the issue of if a person can really be that bad. The answer … is yes.
In 2015, former contestant Holgie Forrester, who was 67 at the time, told the Desert Sun that she once tried and failed to deep fry a grilled cheese sandwich for a boyfriend that left her. She added that she never learned to cook because she thought it was a waste of time. Haydin, from the fourth season, told the New Times that he “would burn grilled cheese and undercook chicken,” and that whatever he tries to cook “either comes out pink or black.” When talking about her experience prior to appearing on the show in 2011, Altomari told the OC Register that she never learned to cook because she lived at home with her mom, and that “growing up in an Italian family, your mom spoils you.”
Altomari also shed some insight on how bad cooks are verified as being awful from the start: “They have you answer questions in different ways,” she told the paper. “It was a process. It was nonstop. You fill out paperwork, fill out questions. It was an ongoing thing making sure that you are really truly who you are.”
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FAQ
What does the winner of Worst Cooks in America get?
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Is the show Worst Cooks in America for real?
What is ‘Worst Cooks in America’?
Case in point: the Food Network show Worst Cooks in America. The premise is simple: two professional chefs pick teams out of a pool of contestants who are truly awful in the kitchen. Everyone goes through a quick training session before being put to the test in various cooking competitions.
Is Worst Cooks in America a real show?
For fans of Worst Cooks in America and of reality TV in general, it’s nice to know that there are still some shows out there that do their best to make sure you get the real thing. Be sure to check out Worst Cooks in America every Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on the Food Network.
What time is Worst Cooks in America on Food Network?
Be sure to check out Worst Cooks in America every Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on the Food Network. Is Tyler Florence Married? The Food Network Veteran Is Taken
How long did Worst Cooks in America last?
Worst Cooks in America has the kind of longevity that most competition shows can only dream of. It’s lasted a full 20 seasons so far and has inspired one spin-off. It’s also made Food Network history by featuring the first openly transgender woman on the network.