"MASTERCHEF" SERVES UP A TWO-NIGHT SEASON PREMIERE EVENT MONDAY, JUNE 4 AND TUESDAY, JUNE 5 ON FOX
NATIONWIDE SEARCH BRINGS BEST AMATEUR COOKS
TO LOS ANGELES TO VIE FOR COVETED TITLE
Top 18 Revealed Monday, June 11
Award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, restaurateur Joe Bastianich and acclaimed chef Graham Elliot return for Season Three of the culinary smash hit MASTERCHEF with a two-night season premiere event on Monday, June 4 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Tuesday, June 5 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Nearly 30,000 hopefuls auditioned at MASTERCHEF's open casting calls in Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA; and Washington, DC. MASTERCHEF also hit the road for the first-ever food truck casting tour and made stops in cities throughout Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Only the best amateur cooks were flown to Los Angeles for a chance to compete for the coveted title of MASTERCHEF and the $250,000 grand prize. This season will feature contestants from all walks of life representing 23 states - including a stock broker, a professional opera singer, an emergency physician, a food photographer, a plastic surgeon, as well as the first blind cook to enter the competition - all with the hopes of turning their culinary dream into a reality.
In the premiere episode, the hopefuls will prepare their signature dish and present them to the distinguished MASTERCHEF judging panel: Gordon Ramsay (Gordon Ramsay Steak, maze), Joe Bastianich (Del Posto, Eataly) and Graham Elliot (Graham Elliot, Grahamwich). The judges will taste for flavor, originality, creativity and presentation. But most importantly, the amateur cooks must demonstrate a genuine passion for food and a drive to win in order to earn a coveted white apron and move on to the next round.
The auditions continue on Tuesday, June 5 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) as the judges critique the good and the bad and continue to winnow down the competition. On Monday, June 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), the stakes are raised as the 36 remaining hopefuls will be put to the ultimate test in an intense ground beef challenge. By the end of the episode, those who impress the judges will earn a spot in the Top 18 and join the nation's best crop of amateur cooks in the MASTERCHEF kitchen. Only those who put their best dish forward will move one step closer to becoming a culinary master.
Below are the hometowns, names and professions of the top amateur cooks who were flown to Los Angeles to compete on MASTERCHEF:
State/Hometown Name Profession.
Arizona
Mesa Anis "Nino" Jabbes Server
Page Renee Berthiaume Office Manager
Laura Frederick Retired Teacher
Hollie Schoppman Convenience Store Owner
Dwayne Slate Repossession Agent
Nicholas Smith Marine Mechanic
Phoenix Preethy Kaibara Family Physician & Attorney
Scottsdale Jason Clouse Contractor
California
Apple Valley Stacey Amagrande Farmer's Market Manager
Bakersfield Gregg McDonnell IT Manager
Brentwood Justin Weiss Business Analyst
Cluco Vanessa Larsen Hair Stylist
Corona Taylor Wilder Sales Associate
Hidden Hills Carrie Portman Senior Real Estate Account Executive
Hollywood Felix Fang Food Runner
Encino Melanie Lowry Account Executive
Laguna Niguel Jeff Cohen Wealth Manager
Los Angeles Monti Carlo Homemaker
Trevor Janus Composer
Patti Negri Witch
Northridge Regan Forston Ventriloquist
Playa Del Rey Becky Reams Food Photographer
San Francisco Laurence "Larry" Hing Lawyer
Santa Monica Craig Victor Call Center Assistant
Studio City Victoria Redstall Author
Kelly Ryan Professional Speaker
Colorado
Westminster Barry "Bear" Plunkett Software Sales Executive
Connecticut
Monroe Jason Maur Attorney
Woodbury Arnaud Bourgeois Pilot/Captain
Delaware
Newark Tianna Wood Inventory Control Specialist
Florida
Aventura Ladda Cooper Restaurant Co-Owner
Boyton Beach Thomas Wright Criminal Lawyer
Davie David Mack Caviar Sales Director
Deerfield Beach Penny Suzuki Firefighter and Paramedic
Jacksonville Sonya Welch Administrative Assistant
Miami Samantha de Silva Design Consultant
Jordan Fein Credit Services Director of Operations
Zelick Gimelstein Musician
Dolores Royale Real Estate Investor
Charles Vidales Interior Designer
Miramar Joel Ringrose U.S. Army Station Commander
Palm Beach Gardens Kate D'Hondt Bartender
West Palm Beach Andrew Rosenthal Plastic Surgeon
Georgia
Blackshear Bubba Strickland Singer
Marietta Lindsay Tarquinio Non-Profit Co-Founder
Powder Springs Mike Hill Contractor
Rowell Bobby Manheim Primate Therapy for Special Needs Children (Monkey Doctor)
Savannah Alysha Augustus Homemaker
Illinois
Chicago Tali Clavijo Musician
Vladimir Giuliano Djurkovic Assistant Manager
Aleithea Ellis Student
Greg Tomaras Field Service Engineer
Elisa Veal Administrative Assistant
Glencoe David Martinez Educational Administrator
Kansas
Stilwell Becky Reams Food Photographer
Louisiana
New Orleans Heber Dunaway Music Teacher
Massachussetts
Cohasset Julie Mitterando Emergency Physician
Boston AJ Rossi Director of Sales (Antiques and Fine Art Magazine)
Anna Rossi Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Fall River Adam Camacho Mechanical Engineer
Nantucket Pete Nevers Carpenter
Maryland
Baldwin Helene Leeds Health Coach
Baltimore Elizabeth Etzel Real Estate Agent
Bethesda Amy Holmwood President of Life Insurance Company
Silver Spring Kaimana Chee Director of IT Training
Windsor Mill Sherine Taylor Benefits Counselor
Michigan
Ada James Lee Retired Police Officer
Royal Oak Brian Kho Business Student
Mississippi
Biloxi Michelle Gollott Food Services Sales Consultant
Jackson Joshua Marks Contract Specialist for US Army
New Jersey
Florham Park Samantha McNulty High School Student
Manahawkin Jessika Morgan Nutrition Sales
West Orange Nandini Anant Homemaker
New York
Astoria Luca Manfe Restaurant Manager
Brooklyn Raiza Costa Artist
Jack Hazan Children's Wear Assistant
Earlville Gabe Fowler Journalism Student
Harlem Courtney Carey Professional Opera Singer
Holtsville Frank Mirando Stock Broker
Katonah Kim Maloof Homemaker
Levittown Al Matousek Teaching Assistant
Long Beach Alessio Vella Sales Manager
New York City Ryan Umane Unemployed
Nichelle Wright Dancer
Woodside Michael Petroff School Aide
Ohio
Cincinnati Krystal Mandap Food Sales Representative
Oregon
Clackamas Josue del Castillo Rios On-Air Radio Personality
Portland Jessica Glenn Book Publicist
Rhode Island
Cranston Cheryl Manzi Admissions Representative
Texas
Austin Michael Chen Meteorology Student
Tanya Noble Student and Hospitality Assistant
Dallas Rami Rassas Used Car Salesman
Frisco Audrey McGinnis Homemaker
Houston Christine Ha Graduate Student
Virginia
Annandale Scott Little Interactive Producer
Arlington Matthew Duffy IT Manager
Joe Maiellano Political Consultant
Washington
Kirkland Shami Marangwanda Recruiter
Seattle Jaeger Stoltz Hair Stylist
Wisconsin
Sun Prairie Derek Distin Medical Device Sales Representative
MASTERCHEF is produced by Shine America and One Potato Two Potato and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Shine. Shine International handles distribution for the MASTERCHEF format. Elisabeth Murdoch, Eden Gaha, Robin Ashbrook, Gordon Ramsay, Adeline Ramage Rooney, Pat Llewellyn and Ben Adler serve as executive producers.
"Like" MASTERCHEF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/masterchef. Follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/masterchefonfox and join the discussion @masterchefonfox.
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