The Next Food Network Star Begins June 1

The next installment of Food Network’s the Next Food Network Star begins Sunday, June 1.  Bobby Flay will take a permanent position as a panel judge.  There will a lot of guests including a surprise visit from Martha Stewart.

This is the fourth season and to date only one winner has really made it to stardom.  Guy Fieri is the last NFN Star to be still standing.  There could be a debate about the reasons why, but it comes down to one thing, Guy appeals to a large demographic and is great on TV.  A lot of the winners have had the skills and television presence, but after about two episodes you are done.  It takes a bigger than life personality to have longevity in this business.  I just hope that all these previous winners had the opportunity to cash-in on their 15 minutes and plan for the after-life.

From the Newswire:

The Next Food Network Star is back
this summer with a star-studded fourth season on Food Network. This season
Bobby Flay takes a seat with the selection committee full-time and the
finalists are put through the ringer to prove that they can take the cake
(and the pizza, and the lobster, and the potato salad) to be the last chef
standing and winner of his-or-her own Food Network show. The series kicks
off with a few friendly Food Network faces on Sunday, June 1st at 10pm
ET/PT.

    “What’s unique about The Next Food Network Star is that having top
culinary chops is only half the battle,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice
President, Programming and Production. “If you can’t find the winning
formula to deliver first rate creative food, a unique culinary point of
view, and star charisma week after week, you’re going home. This year’s
finalists are absolutely the most talented and fiercely competitive we’ve
ever had on the show.”

    The 10 finalists include: Nipa Bhatt (Victoria, MN), Jennifer Cochrane
(Woonsocket, RI), Lisa Garza (Dallas, TX), Adam Gertler (Philadelphia, PA),
Cory Kahaney (New York, NY), Shane Lyons (Colorado Springs, CO), Aaron
McCargo Jr. (Camden, NJ), Kelsey Nixon (North Ogden, UT), Kevin Roberts
(San Diego, CA), and Jeffrey Vaden (White Plains, NY).

    This season’s finalists are put to the test with complex challenges
that determine their culinary competence and on-screen star potential.
Challenges include a late night race through the streets of Manhattan,
creating easy versions of complicated dishes for the staff of Bon Appetit
magazine, teaming up with girl scouts to create healthy meals and cooking
under the bright lights on the Las Vegas strip.

    Throughout June and July, the selection committee, aided by a rotating
cast of remarkable guest stars including Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, Giada
De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, Cat Cora, Sandra Lee, Gina and Pat Neely,
Masaharu Moriomto, Tyler Florence, Michael Symon and Season Two winner Guy
Fieri, will narrow the field down until the finale. This season, the
selection committee will select the winner and he-or-she will be revealed
during the series’ finale on Sunday, July 27th at 10pm ET/PT and will
receive a six-episode show that will premiere in August 2008.