Food Network Finds Another 'Star'

The Next Food Network Star is back! Hosted by Marc Summers (Unwrapped), the popular primetime series 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 series kicks off with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, March 19 at 9PM ET/PT .

'After the success of the first season, we couldn't wait to work with the new batch of contestants,' says Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming for Food Network. 'The finalists brought great energy, ability and talent–they impressed us at every turn. The viewers are going to have a tough decision to make when deciding between the final two.'

Season one of The Next Food Network Star was one of the highest-rated, most watched primetime series in the history of Food Network. This season, Food Network chef Bobby Flay (Iron Chef America) joins the judging panel and casts a critical eye on the hopeful contestants. Rachael Ray , Giada De Laurentiis, Mario Batali, Paula Deen and Alton Brown are just a few of the Food Network stars who join in the fun and help the selection panel weed out the contestants. The ultimate winner will be determined by Food Network's viewers (through an online vote at FoodNetwork.com and text messaging opportunity running from April 16-19, 2006) and will win a six-episode show that will premiere in June 2006.

Season two finalists include: Jess Dang, 24, a management consultant from Menlo Park, CA; Guy Fieri, 38, a restaurant owner from Santa Rosa, CA; Nathan Lyon, 35, a personal chef who also works at farmer's markets from Los Angeles, CA; Elizabeth Raynor, 32, an independent recruiting consultant and personal chef from Sausalito, CA; Evette Rodriguez, 35, a working mother from Port St. Lucie, FL, who was chosen as a finalist by FoodNetwork.com users; Carissa Seward, 34, a culinary industry worker, from San Diego, CA; Reggie Southerland, 39, a self-taught baker from Los Angeles, CA and Andrew Schumacher, 26, a caterer from Brooklyn, NY.

Marc Summers is a multi-faceted talent whose on-air career has spanned more than two decades. In addition to hosting Unwrapped and specials for Food Network, Summers is the former host/producer of Nickelodeon's wildly popular Double Dare and What Would You Do? and hosts History Channel's IQ Test. TV watchers may also recall his work on ABC's Home Show, where he doubled as both correspondent and guest host. He followed his success of The Home Show with his own daily talk program on Lifetime, Biggers and Summers, which featured a celebrity guest format and also hosted Majority Rules for DreamWorks SKG.