TLC ANNOUNCES JUDGING PANEL FOR "BBQ PITMASTERS"

Myron Mixon, Warren Sapp, & Art Smith add heat to the competition

Los Angeles, CA - The competition to become a Pitmaster just got more heated. TLC today announced that the second season of its hit series BBQ PITMASTERS will be fronted by an expert panel of judges who will pick apart each contestant as they vie for the grand prize.

The panel includes:

Myron Mixon

Considered the winningest man in BBQ, Myron Mixon is the chief cook of Jack's Old South Competition Bar-B-Que Team, which has won over 180 grand championships, 30 state championships, and 11 national championships. Myron was featured in season one of BBQ PITMASTERS and brings the insider's view to the competition.

Warren Sapp

Super Bowl champion Warren Sapp is a retired defensive tackle (Tampa Bay Buccaneers & the Oakland Raiders). Off the football field, Warren dominated the pop culture scene by placing 2nd on Season 7 of "Dancing With The Stars." An avid BBQ enthusiast and a southern gentleman, he brings the 'everyman' perspective to the judging panel.

Art Smith

The executive chef and co-owner of Table fifty-two and Art and Soul restaurants, Art Smith is a celebrity chef, an award winning author & humanitarian, and has cooked for some of the world's most famous celebrities. Raised on the Florida/Georgia border, Art is a specialist in Southern cuisine and will judge from a highly trained culinary perspective.

These judges join host Kevin Roberts in the series' new format, which pits teams against each other in a series of challenges - all under fire to win the title of BBQ Pitmaster.

BBQ PITMASTERS will go into production in late June through July in Los Angeles, and is scheduled to premiere August 12 at 10p on TLC. The series is produced for TLC by Original Media.