A BAKER'S DOZEN COMPETE TO BE TLC'S NEXT GREAT BAKER
September 30, 2011
A BAKER'S DOZEN COMPETE TO BE TLC'S NEXT GREAT BAKER
13 Contestants vying for $100,000 prize and chance to work at Carlo's Bakery
Buddy "Cake Boss" Valastro is looking for the NEXT GREAT BAKER and 13 aspiring cake artists are entering the kitchen to see if can bake their way to the top. At stake: the sweet prize of $100,000, a four-page feature in Brides Magazine, and a chance to work side-by-side with Buddy and his team at Carlo's Bakery.
The 10-episode season kicks off with a special 90-minute premiere on Monday, November 28 at 9pm ET/PT. The season one finale - which crowned Dana Hebert the winner - averaged 2.34 million viewers, up +67% from its series debut.
"This season is bigger and better - we've doubled the prize, the challenges are tougher, and there's a seasoned 'bakers dozen' fighting it out to prove to me they have what it takes to hang with the Carlo's crew," said Buddy Valastro.
This season's contestants include:
Ryan Cimorelli, Providence, RI
30 years old; Owner, The Bakery Boutique in Smithfield, RI.
Meet Ryan: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-ryan.html
Wesley Durden, Fayetteville NC
29 years old; Active serviceman with 82nd Airborn Division, based at Fort Bragg.
Meet Wesley: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-wesley.html
Chad Fitzgerald, Duncanville, TX
44 years old; Owner of THE CAKE GUYS in Dallas and Duncanville, TX; also a High School Math Teacher.
Meet Chad: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-chad.html
Jasmine Frank, Los Angeles, CA
20 years old; Owners of Jazzy Cakes
Meet Jasmine: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-jasmine.html
Tony Frys, Forth Worth, TX
23 years old; a co-owner of "The Sugar Art"
Meet Tony: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-tony.html
Heather Grubb, Knoxville, TN
31 years old; owner of Cake of Knoxville.
Meet Heather: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-heather-g.html
Megan Hart, Pittsburgh PA
38 years old; works as a paramedic for the city of Pittsburgh.
Meet Megan: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-megan.html
Marissa Lopez, Pompton Lakes NJ
24 years old; Cake decorator at the Brownstone in Patterson NJ and small business owner.
Meet Marissa: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-marissa.html
Heather Macia, Las Vegas, NV
32 years old; a culinary school graduate, she currently works as an exotic dancer.
Meet Heather: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-heather-m.html
Carmelo Oquendo, Worcester, MA
43 years old; a retired Gang Unit Police Officer and now the "Cakefather of Worcester."
Meet Carmello: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-carmello.html
Nadine Reibeling, New York, NY
28 years old; owner of Lolly Love, LLC, and also works in catering sales for a hotel.
Meet Nadine: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-nadine.html
Minerva Vazquez, Miami, FL
46 years old; a personal chef and cake artist
Meet Minerva: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-minerva.html
Sara Williams, Cedartown, GA
39 years old; owner of a bakery, Crickette's Cakes
Meet Sara: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-sara.html
The series fan site can be found at http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/next-great-baker.
NEXT GREAT BAKER is produced for TLC by High Noon Entertainment.
About TLC
TLC is a global brand that celebrates extraordinary people and relatable life moments through innovative nonfiction programming. A top 10 cable network for women, TLC has built successful franchises around the Cake Boss, Say Yes to the Dress and Police Women brands. In the first half of 2011, TLC had 23 series averaging 1.0 million viewers or more including Extreme Couponing, Sister Wives, 19 Kids and Counting, What Not To Wear, and Kate Plus 8.
TLC is available in more than 99 million homes in the US and 75 million households in 34 countries internationally. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites, exclusive video content, and original editorial covering style, home, food, and more. Fans can also interact with TLC via On Demand services, on mobile platforms, including an iPhone App, and through social media such as Facebook or @TLC on Twitter. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 210 countries and territories.