"MASTERCHEF" SERVES UP A TWO-NIGHT SEASON PREMIERE EVENT MONDAY, JUNE 4 AND TUESDAY, JUNE 5 ON FOX

NATIONWIDE SEARCH BRINGS BEST AMATEUR COOKS TO LOS ANGELES TO VIE FOR COVETED TITLE

Top 18 Revealed Monday, June 11

Award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, restaurateur Joe Bastianich and acclaimed chef Graham Elliot return for Season Three of the culinary smash hit MASTERCHEF with a two-night season premiere event on Monday, June 4 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Tuesday, June 5 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Nearly 30,000 hopefuls auditioned at MASTERCHEF's open casting calls in Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA; and Washington, DC. MASTERCHEF also hit the road for the first-ever food truck casting tour and made stops in cities throughout Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Only the best amateur cooks were flown to Los Angeles for a chance to compete for the coveted title of MASTERCHEF and the $250,000 grand prize. This season will feature contestants from all walks of life representing 23 states - including a stock broker, a professional opera singer, an emergency physician, a food photographer, a plastic surgeon, as well as the first blind cook to enter the competition - all with the hopes of turning their culinary dream into a reality.

In the premiere episode, the hopefuls will prepare their signature dish and present them to the distinguished MASTERCHEF judging panel: Gordon Ramsay (Gordon Ramsay Steak, maze), Joe Bastianich (Del Posto, Eataly) and Graham Elliot (Graham Elliot, Grahamwich). The judges will taste for flavor, originality, creativity and presentation. But most importantly, the amateur cooks must demonstrate a genuine passion for food and a drive to win in order to earn a coveted white apron and move on to the next round.

The auditions continue on Tuesday, June 5 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) as the judges critique the good and the bad and continue to winnow down the competition. On Monday, June 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), the stakes are raised as the 36 remaining hopefuls will be put to the ultimate test in an intense ground beef challenge. By the end of the episode, those who impress the judges will earn a spot in the Top 18 and join the nation's best crop of amateur cooks in the MASTERCHEF kitchen. Only those who put their best dish forward will move one step closer to becoming a culinary master.

Below are the hometowns, names and professions of the top amateur cooks who were flown to Los Angeles to compete on MASTERCHEF:

State/Hometown Name Profession.

Arizona Mesa Anis "Nino" Jabbes Server Page Renee Berthiaume Office Manager Laura Frederick Retired Teacher Hollie Schoppman Convenience Store Owner Dwayne Slate Repossession Agent Nicholas Smith Marine Mechanic Phoenix Preethy Kaibara Family Physician & Attorney Scottsdale Jason Clouse Contractor

California Apple Valley Stacey Amagrande Farmer's Market Manager Bakersfield Gregg McDonnell IT Manager Brentwood Justin Weiss Business Analyst Cluco Vanessa Larsen Hair Stylist Corona Taylor Wilder Sales Associate Hidden Hills Carrie Portman Senior Real Estate Account Executive Hollywood Felix Fang Food Runner Encino Melanie Lowry Account Executive Laguna Niguel Jeff Cohen Wealth Manager Los Angeles Monti Carlo Homemaker Trevor Janus Composer Patti Negri Witch Northridge Regan Forston Ventriloquist Playa Del Rey Becky Reams Food Photographer San Francisco Laurence "Larry" Hing Lawyer Santa Monica Craig Victor Call Center Assistant Studio City Victoria Redstall Author Kelly Ryan Professional Speaker

Colorado Westminster Barry "Bear" Plunkett Software Sales Executive

Connecticut Monroe Jason Maur Attorney Woodbury Arnaud Bourgeois Pilot/Captain

Delaware Newark Tianna Wood Inventory Control Specialist

Florida Aventura Ladda Cooper Restaurant Co-Owner Boyton Beach Thomas Wright Criminal Lawyer Davie David Mack Caviar Sales Director Deerfield Beach Penny Suzuki Firefighter and Paramedic Jacksonville Sonya Welch Administrative Assistant Miami Samantha de Silva Design Consultant Jordan Fein Credit Services Director of Operations Zelick Gimelstein Musician Dolores Royale Real Estate Investor Charles Vidales Interior Designer Miramar Joel Ringrose U.S. Army Station Commander Palm Beach Gardens Kate D'Hondt Bartender West Palm Beach Andrew Rosenthal Plastic Surgeon

Georgia Blackshear Bubba Strickland Singer Marietta Lindsay Tarquinio Non-Profit Co-Founder Powder Springs Mike Hill Contractor Rowell Bobby Manheim Primate Therapy for Special Needs Children (Monkey Doctor) Savannah Alysha Augustus Homemaker

Illinois Chicago Tali Clavijo Musician Vladimir Giuliano Djurkovic Assistant Manager Aleithea Ellis Student Greg Tomaras Field Service Engineer Elisa Veal Administrative Assistant Glencoe David Martinez Educational Administrator

Kansas Stilwell Becky Reams Food Photographer

Louisiana New Orleans Heber Dunaway Music Teacher

Massachussetts Cohasset Julie Mitterando Emergency Physician Boston AJ Rossi Director of Sales (Antiques and Fine Art Magazine) Anna Rossi Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Fall River Adam Camacho Mechanical Engineer Nantucket Pete Nevers Carpenter

Maryland Baldwin Helene Leeds Health Coach Baltimore Elizabeth Etzel Real Estate Agent Bethesda Amy Holmwood President of Life Insurance Company Silver Spring Kaimana Chee Director of IT Training Windsor Mill Sherine Taylor Benefits Counselor

Michigan Ada James Lee Retired Police Officer Royal Oak Brian Kho Business Student

Mississippi Biloxi Michelle Gollott Food Services Sales Consultant Jackson Joshua Marks Contract Specialist for US Army

New Jersey Florham Park Samantha McNulty High School Student Manahawkin Jessika Morgan Nutrition Sales West Orange Nandini Anant Homemaker

New York Astoria Luca Manfe Restaurant Manager Brooklyn Raiza Costa Artist Jack Hazan Children's Wear Assistant Earlville Gabe Fowler Journalism Student Harlem Courtney Carey Professional Opera Singer Holtsville Frank Mirando Stock Broker Katonah Kim Maloof Homemaker Levittown Al Matousek Teaching Assistant Long Beach Alessio Vella Sales Manager New York City Ryan Umane Unemployed Nichelle Wright Dancer Woodside Michael Petroff School Aide

Ohio Cincinnati Krystal Mandap Food Sales Representative

Oregon Clackamas Josue del Castillo Rios On-Air Radio Personality Portland Jessica Glenn Book Publicist

Rhode Island Cranston Cheryl Manzi Admissions Representative

Texas Austin Michael Chen Meteorology Student Tanya Noble Student and Hospitality Assistant Dallas Rami Rassas Used Car Salesman Frisco Audrey McGinnis Homemaker Houston Christine Ha Graduate Student

Virginia Annandale Scott Little Interactive Producer Arlington Matthew Duffy IT Manager Joe Maiellano Political Consultant

Washington Kirkland Shami Marangwanda Recruiter Seattle Jaeger Stoltz Hair Stylist

Wisconsin Sun Prairie Derek Distin Medical Device Sales Representative

MASTERCHEF is produced by Shine America and One Potato Two Potato and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Shine. Shine International handles distribution for the MASTERCHEF format. Elisabeth Murdoch, Eden Gaha, Robin Ashbrook, Gordon Ramsay, Adeline Ramage Rooney, Pat Llewellyn and Ben Adler serve as executive producers.

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