50 Fun Facts About Worst Cooks in America

Which Restaurant: Impossible host risked dyeing his hair platinum in a side bet on Worst Cooks in America?

Robert Irvine lost that wager when Anne Burrell's contestant won season two, so her signature hair, the other stake, was safe.

In the first-season finale of Worst Cooks in America, critics were led to believe who had cooked their food?

The show's chef mentors took the credit, in a deliberate attempt to fool the panel. From season two the judges were told in advance that home cooks had made the food.

Which figure skater, banned for life by U.S. skating in 1994, won a celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America?

Tonya Harding beat actor Alec Mapa in the final of the fifth celebrity edition, a year after finishing third on Dancing with the Stars.

Because Worst Cooks in America is styled as a culinary boot camp, its contestants are known by which name?

Recruits train in basics such as knife work, seasoning and baking, and the mentors send their weakest cooks home week by week.

Which Boy Meets Grill host's team ended Anne Burrell's three-season winning streak on Worst Cooks in America?

Bobby Flay lost to Burrell in his first season as a mentor, then won the next two with Alina Bolshakova and Amber Brauner.

Which star of a 1960s genie sitcom competed on a celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America at the age of 85?

Barbara Eden, the star of I Dream of Jeannie, joined the second celebrity edition and was the second contestant sent home.

Anne Burrell of Worst Cooks in America traced her culinary ambitions to watching which TV chef at age three?

Julia Child caught her eye on television when she was three; Burrell went on to study at cooking schools in New York and Italy before teaching the craft herself.

Which Jersey Shore cast member won the first celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America, mentored by Anne Burrell?

Jenni "JWoww" Farley beat Kendra Wilkinson in the final of a season that began with just seven celebrities split between two mentors.

Which daytime talk show host coached a team in the first three celebrity editions of Worst Cooks in America?

Rachael Ray, famous for 30 Minute Meals, also coached one regular season of home cooks, the show's tenth.

Which Olympic swimming champion withdrew from Worst Cooks in America: Reality Check for health reasons?

Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medallist, left partway through a season cast entirely with celebrities and reality TV stars.

La Toya Jackson won the fourth celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America for the team of which Food 911 host?

Tyler Florence first joined in season six and returned many times, but the singer was the first of his finalists to beat Anne Burrell's.

Before Worst Cooks in America, Anne Burrell worked as a sous chef to which Iron Chef on Iron Chef America?

Mario Batali picked her for the pilot taping in 2005, and she stayed at his side for the rest of his time on the series.

Each episode of Worst Cooks in America opens with which test of a technique the mentors have just demonstrated?

Skills Drill comes first, and the Main Dish Challenge that follows it decides who is sent home.

Alongside $25,000 in cash, the winner of a regular season of Worst Cooks in America takes home which other prize?

A cooking set from Food Network goes home with the winner, who earns both rewards by serving a restaurant-quality menu to critics in the finale.

Alton Brown, who mentored season 18 of Worst Cooks in America, created which long-running food science series?

Good Eats ran for 16 seasons, but Brown's one turn as a mentor ended in defeat when Anne Burrell's finalist beat his.

Which actor who played Superman on 1990s television was the first celebrity ever eliminated from Worst Cooks in America?

Dean Cain, star of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, went home in the opening episode of the first celebrity edition.

Which actress, Carol Seaver on Growing Pains, beat Jodie Sweetin to win a celebrity season of Worst Cooks in America?

Tracey Gold won for Anne Burrell's team, the last time one of Burrell's celebrity cooks took the title.

Which Ace of Cakes star co-hosted the first season of Worst Bakers in America, a spin-off of Worst Cooks in America?

Duff Goldman presented the baking version with Lorraine Pascale, then handed over to Jason Smith for its second season.

Jaleel White, an early exit from the first celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America, played which sitcom nerd?

Steve Urkel was written as a one-time guest on Family Matters, then proved so popular that White joined the main cast a season later.

Which executive chef of an Arizona mountain resort co-hosted only the first season of Worst Cooks in America?

Beau MacMillan, nicknamed BeauMac, saw his finalist Jenny Cross lose the first final to Anne Burrell's Rachel Coleman, and a new rival took his place a year later.

On celebrity editions of Worst Cooks in America, where does the winner's $50,000 prize go?

A charity of their choice receives the money, which is double the cash that a regular-season winner gets to keep.

Barry Williams, who cooked on the first celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America, played Greg on which sitcom?

The Brady Bunch cast him as the eldest son; in the kitchen he lasted until the fourth week on Anne Burrell's team.

Which gossip blogger beat actress Melissa Peterman to win the third celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America?

Perez Hilton won a season that also featured Vivica A. Fox, Carson Kressley and Carmen Electra, who withdrew partway through.

Carla Hall, a Top Chef alum who mentored season 21 of Worst Cooks in America, co-hosted which ABC daytime show?

The Chew replaced the soap opera All My Children in 2011, and Hall's cook Amber Leverette won the season she mentored.

In the finale of Worst Cooks in America, the last two contestants must each cook what for a panel of critics?

A three-course meal of restaurant quality is the final exam, judged on taste, presentation and how far each cook has come.

Which Cleveland chef joined Anne Burrell to mentor the first all-star season of Worst Cooks in America?

Michael Symon coached returning fan favourites in the season titled Best of the Worst, where his finalist Domaine Javier finished runner-up.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 actor finished runner-up to La Toya Jackson on a celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America?

Ian Ziering, the hero of the Sharknado films, cooked for Anne Burrell's team and lost the final to the singer.

In the first season of Worst Cooks in America, Anne Burrell's team took which colour, opposite the Blue Team?

Red was Burrell's colour, and the Red against Blue split of the kitchen was still in use when season 26 sorted its cooks in pairs.

Jeff Mauro, a mentor on Worst Cooks in America, won Food Network Star and then hosted which show about his speciality?

Sandwich King was his reward for winning the seventh season of Food Network Star, where he built every challenge around the same lunchtime staple.

Which Chopped judge, executive chef of New York's Butter, mentored season 20 of Worst Cooks in America?

Alex Guarnaschelli won The Next Iron Chef: Redemption in 2012, a contest in which Burrell herself had been eliminated a year earlier.

Which comedian and co-host of the talk show The Real won the second celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America?

Loni Love beat MADtv alumna Nicole Sullivan in the final, giving her mentor a first victory after defeat the year before.

Before Worst Cooks in America, Anne Burrell hosted which Food Network series?

Secrets of a Restaurant Chef debuted in June 2008, about eighteen months before the competition that made her a household face.

Which CHiPs star was the first contestant sent home from the third celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America?

Erik Estrada, who played California Highway Patrol officer Ponch, was 68 when he became the first of the eight celebrities to go.

Which Los Angeles restaurateur coached the Villains in the Heroes vs. Villains season of Worst Cooks in America?

Antonia Lofaso, who reached the last four on two seasons of Top Chef, won at her first attempt as the series ran without Anne Burrell for the first time.

Love at First Bite, a themed season of Worst Cooks in America, cast contestants who all shared which status?

Single cooks signed up hoping to impress future dates, and they were paired off to share a work station for every cook.

Oscar Nunez, who cooked on a celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America, played an accountant on which sitcom?

The Office made him Dunder Mifflin's Oscar Martinez; in the kitchen he was eliminated one week before the final.

Sebastian Bach, a Heroes contestant on Worst Cooks in America: Heroes vs. Villains, once fronted which hard rock band?

Skid Row fired him in 1996 after nine years as frontman; on the cooking competition he was the second celebrity sent home.

Which companion series to Worst Cooks in America has comedians and former contestants commenting on past episodes?

Dirty Dishes began its run immediately after the 90-minute premiere of season 21.

Which Dallas-based chef mentored both the Spoiled Rotten and Reality Check seasons of Worst Cooks in America?

Tiffany Derry coached the winner both times: Stacey Loper in Spoiled Rotten, then reality star Reza Farahan.

Season 23 of Worst Cooks in America cast pairs with existing ties, so what were its two finalists, Peachez and Marti?

Best friends Peachez Iman-Cummings and Marti Cummings finished first and second, in a cast that also included spouses, neighbours and long-lost cousins.

Three former Worst Cooks in America contestants teamed up as Just Wing It and won which other culinary contest?

The Great Food Truck Race crowned season 12 alumni Steven Crowley, Kevin Pettice and Sharon Shvarzman in 2018, after they spent the series selling wings.

Gabriele Bertaccini, who mentored season 29 of Worst Cooks in America, was the food expert on which Netflix series?

Say I Do had him cater surprise dream weddings that were planned in under a week, alongside experts in design and fashion.

Reza Farahan, winner of Worst Cooks in America: Reality Check, found fame on which Bravo reality series?

Shahs of Sunset followed Iranian Americans in Beverly Hills for nine years; Farahan beat actress Beverley Mitchell in the cooking final.

Jonathan Lipnicki, a celebrity contestant on Worst Cooks in America, debuted as a boy in which Tom Cruise film?

Jerry Maguire cast him as young Ray Boyd; on the cooking competition he reached the last five of the fifth celebrity edition.

Which Bachelor in Paradise bartender won the sixth celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America for Anne Burrell's team?

Wells Adams beat Johnny Bananas of The Challenge in a final between two reality TV regulars.

Which figure skater and Dancing with the Stars winner was runner-up on Worst Cooks in America: Heroes vs. Villains?

Adam Rippon cooked for the Heroes and lost the final to Corinne Olympios, the last Villain standing.

Darnell Ferguson, who mentored season 25 of Worst Cooks in America, cooked for Team USA in which Olympic host city?

Beijing staged the 2008 Games, where he was one of 20 student chefs selected to feed the American team.

In season 21 of Worst Cooks in America, which twist sent each team's weakest cook to work at the mentors' own stations?

Danger Zone kept the strugglers under the mentors' noses, cooking the main dish exactly where the recipe had just been demonstrated.

Nolan Gould, 19 when he cooked on a celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America, grew up on screen in which sitcom?

Modern Family cast him as Luke Dunphy from 2009 to 2020; in the kitchen he was the second celebrity eliminated.

Which title did Anne Burrell of Worst Cooks in America give her first cookbook, a New York Times bestseller?

Cook Like a Rock Star came out in 2011, and its follow-up, Own Your Kitchen, reached the same bestseller list two years later.