Bobby Flay 'Grills' a New Season of Food Network Hopefuls

NEW YORK, April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Television's most challenging food fight, The Next Food Network Star, returns this June for a fourth season filled with star-studded appearances and culinary challenges sure to test the boundaries of any palette. Premiering Sunday, June 1st at 10pm ET/PT, the series offers viewers a cast like never before -- filled with 10 contestants eagerly vying to be the next face of the Food Network. From a stand-up comedian, to a cookbook author and a self proclaimed "Mini Martha Stewart" -- the contestants are sure to introduce a new flavor to the line-up. The names of the finalists were announced today by Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network.

"Last season's show was our network's highest-rated, most-watched series ever and we look forward to keeping that bar raised and the level of competition high," said Tuschman. "This season's finalists are our most skilled ever, and we put them through the toughest challenges we could devise. We guarantee viewers an incredibly compelling and entertaining series."

The 10 finalists include: Nipa Bhatt, 35 (Victoria, MN) Marketing manager Jennifer Cochrane, 32 (Woonsocket, RI) Executive Chef, Geppetto's and Briggs Corner restaurants Lisa Garza, 32 (Dallas, TX) Owner, Suze Restaurant and kitchenwear fashion designer Adam Gertler, 30 (Philadelphia, PA) Former restaurateur, server and actor Cory Kahaney, 45 (New York, NY) Stand-up comic and playwright Shane Lyons, 20 (Colorado Springs, CO) Private chef Aaron McCargo Jr., 36 (Camden, NJ) Executive Catering Chef, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Kelsey Nixon, 23 (North Ogden, UT) Freelance food writer, culinary class instructor Kevin Roberts, 39 (San Diego, CA) Radio contributor, restaurant owner & cookbook author Jeffrey Vaden, 43 (White Plains, NY) Caterer and former restaurateur

The Next Food Network Star follows Food Network's nation-wide search for its newest on-air talent. The finalists, ranging from professionals to amateurs, compete in a series of difficult challenges that test their knowledge, skills and personalities. The ultimate winner will star in his-or-her own six-episode series on Food Network. This season, Food Network chef Bobby Flay joins the selection committee as a permanent celebrity judge. With appearances from other Food Network stars and other special guests, the new season of The Next Food Network Star is set to be the most intense one yet! The Next Food Network Star is produced by CBS EYE too Productions.

FOOD NETWORK (http://www.foodnetwork.com/) is a unique lifestyle network and Web site that strives to be way more than cooking. The network is committed to exploring new and different ways to approach food -- through pop culture, competition, adventure, and travel -- while also expanding its repertoire of technique-based information. Food Network is distributed to more than 90 million U.S. households and averages more than seven million Web site users monthly. With headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Knoxville, Food Network can be seen internationally in Canada, Australia, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Monaco, Andorra, Africa, France, and the French-speaking territories in the Caribbean and Polynesia. The E.W. Scripps Company , which also owns and operates HGTV (http://www.hgtv.com/), DIY Network (http://www.diynetwork.com/), Great American Country (http://www.gactv.com/) and FINE LIVING (http://www.fineliving.com/), is the manager and general partner.