FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE JUDGES BATTLE IT OUT ON SEASON NINE OF “MASTERCHEF,” PREMIERING WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, ON FOX

In a MASTERCHEF First,

The Judges Choose Their Favorite Home Cooks and

Mentor Them Throughout the Season

 

New Batch of Home Cooks Begin Their MASTERCHEF Journey,

Including a Bus Driver, Personal Grocery Shopper, Country Singer,

Pilot, Model, Firefighter, Dishwasher and Optometrist

In a MASTERCHEF kitchen first, the judges will do battle when Season Nine of MASTERCHEF premieres Wednesday, May 30 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. For the first time ever, the judges – host and award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, acclaimed chef Aarón Sánchez and renowned restaurateur Joe Bastianich – will choose their favorite home cooks and mentor them throughout the competition. Another all-new two-hour episode of MASTERCHEF airs Wednesday, June 6 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Then, the series makes its time period premiere on Wednesday, June 13 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), followed by the series premiere of GORDON RAMSAY’S 24 HOURS TO HELL AND BACK (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

 

In the season premiere, the nation’s best home cooks travel to Los Angeles to compete for a spot in the Top 24. That’s when twist kicks in: the judges each will have eight aprons to hand out to the home cooks whom they deem worthy – and they will then mentor those contestants throughout the competition. However, as in all prior seasons, only one home cook will claim the MASTERCHEF title and the $250,000 grand prize.

 

Hopefuls auditioned at MASTERCHEF’s open casting calls in Chicago, IL; Atlanta, GA; Raleigh, NC; Phoenix, AZ; New York, NY; Miami, FL; Houston, TX; Philadelphia, PA; Las Vegas, NV; Nashville, TN; and Los Angeles, CA to prove they have the culinary skills to be the next MASTERCHEF. Only one talented home cook will join MASTERCHEF winners Dino Luciano (Season Eight), Shaun O’Neale (Season Seven), Claudia Sandoval (Season Six), Courtney Lapresi (Season Five); Luca Manfe (Season Four); Christine Ha (Season Three), the first-ever blind contestant; Jennifer Behm (Season Two); and Whitney Miller (Season One) in the elite group of MASTERCHEF titleholders.

 

Below are the hometowns, names and professions of the Home Cooks who will participate in the MASTERCHEF Battle for a White Apron:

 

State/Hometown		Name		Profession
Alabama
   Slapout		Jessica Meuse		Country Singer
-more-
“MASTERCHEF” SEASON NINE TOP 43 CONTESTANTS – Page 2
Arizona		Â		Â
   Peoria		Darrick Krause		Engineer
California
	Los Angeles		S.J.		College Student
			Sal Maida		Architect
	San Francisco		Imani Browning		Server
	Sylmar		Cynthia Smith-Allen Bey		Accounting Assistant
  Cayman Islands
			Nik Stewart		Model
  China
	Tianjin		Bowen Li		Pilot
  Florida
   Miami		Shanika Patterson		Event Promoter
		Sid Hoeltzell		Food Photographer
   Opa-Locka		Ashley Mincey		Professional Grocery Shopper
Georgia
   Atlanta		Camerron Dangerfield		Financial Analyst
  Illinois
Â	Chicago		Farhan Momin		Dental Student
			Julia Danno		Sales Manager
  Iowa
   Iowa City			Matt Houck		Optometrist
Â	West Des Moines		Samantha Daily		College Student
  Kentucky
	Louisville		Gerron Hurt		English Teacher
  Louisiana
	Shreveport		Mark Myers Jr.		Firefighter
  Maine
	Rockport		Mark Ingraham		Dishwasher
  Maryland
	Laurel		Tye Hall Brown		Associate Professor
  Massachusetts
	Orange		Lindsay Haigh		Trial Attorney
  Michigan
	Grand Rapids		Alecia Winters		Daycare Owner
  Nevada
	Las Vegas		Jannie Lam		Cocktail Server
-more-
“MASTERCHEF” SEASON NINE TOP 43 CONTESTANTS – Page 3
  New Jersey
	Cherry Hill		Stephanie Willis		Bartender
  New York
	Brooklyn		Maya Rose Lederer		Personal Assistant
	Mamaroneck		Daniela Savone		ESL Teacher
	Westchester		Frank Tufano		Bartender
  North Carolina
	Clayton		Hope McFarland		Health Care Administrator
	Four Oaks		Jody Rhodes		Hunting Guide
	Raleigh		Juni Cuevas		Disability Analyst
  South Carolina
	Columbia		Olusola Ogbomo		Bus Driver
  South Africa
	Butterworth		Markheavens Tshuma		Retail Manager
  Tennessee
	Nashville		Mark Medlin		Business Owner
  Texas
	Austin		Chera Lynn Little		Realtor
	Houston		Cesar Cano		High School Teacher
			Chelsea Sargent		Sales Specialist
			Ralph Xavier Degala		Senior Accountant
			Ryan Cortez Taylor Waltmon		Drummer Sales Training Director
	San Antonio		Jason Beauchamp		Business Owner
Â		Orlando Velasquez		Family & Criminal Law
Â
Virginia
	Fairfax		Eric Clingan		Criminal Defense Attorney
Wisconsin
Â	Neenah		Emily Hallock		Food Research Analyst
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MASTERCHEF is produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Endemol Shine. Robin Ashbrook, Elisabeth Murdoch, Georgie Hurford-Jones, Gordon Ramsay, Danny Schrader, Yasmin Shackleton, Patricia Llewellyn and Ben Adler serve as executive producers. “Like” MASTERCHEF on Facebook at facebook.com/Masterchef/. Follow the series on Twitter @MasterChefonFOX and join the discussion with #MasterChef. See photos and videos on Instagram @MasterchefonFOX. Follow the judges on Twitter: Gordon Ramsay – @gordonramsay; Aarón Sánchez – @Chef_Aaron; Joe Bastianich – @JBastianich.