or


[11/01/12 - 09:57 AM]
Batter Up! 13 New Contestants Compete to Be TLC's "Next Great Baker"
The 10-episode season kicks off with a special 90-minute premiere on Monday, November 26 at 9:00/8:00c.
[via press release from TLC]

BATTER UP! 13 New Contestants Compete to Be TLC'S "NEXT GREAT BAKER"

Season 3 Premieres Monday, November 26 at 9pm ET/PT

The heat is on - Buddy "Cake Boss" Valastro has selected a brand-new "bakers dozen" of aspiring pastry chefs to mix it up in the third season of TLC's hit competition show NEXT GREAT BAKER. The 13 crafty cake artists are each after the sweet prize of $100,000, a feature in Redbook 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 26 at 9pm ET/PT. The series' second season, which crowned Marissa Lopez as the winner, was watched by an average of 1.7M viewers.

This season, Buddy and his family welcome special guests to judges the challenges, including Mario Lopez & Courtney Mazza, Lou Ferrigno, Peter Billingsley (A Christmas Story), Holly Madison, and Joey Fatone, among others.

"Each season brings out stronger contestants and I think this is the best batch yet. The challenges are tougher, the judges more critical, and the reward as sweet as ever," said Buddy Valastro.

This season's contestants include:

Letty Alvarez - Miami, FL 41 years old; Owner/Operator of LA Sweets

James S. Brown - Lexington, KY (previously from Chicago, IL) 41 years old; Owner of Brown's Bakery

Paul Christopher Conti - Long Beach Island, NJ (originally from Staten Island, NY) 30 years old; currently unemployed

Chad Durkin - Philadelphia, PA (previously from Hackensack, NJ and Toms River, NJ) 28 years old; Owner of CAD Culinary consulting and wedding cakes

Gretel-Ann Fischer - Colchester, VT 35 years old; Owner of Cupp's, a bakery/café in Winooski, Vermont

Peter Gray - East Longmeadow, MA 21 years old; Runs cake decorating business Pete's Sweets

Ashley Lauren Holt - Louisville, KY 24 years old; Pastry Chef at The Louisville Country Club, also runs cake business Sugar Monster Sweets

Jen Kwapinski - San Jose, CA (previously from Columbus, NE) 32 years old; Owner of Jen's Cakes

Chris Luna - Roseville, CA (originally from Pollock Pines, CA) *Chris was the America's Choice selection 29 years old; Currently a Sales Executive, and an amateur baker

Melissa Payne - Chesterfield, VA 33 years old; Owner of Couture Cake Creations, co-owner of Sweets Couture

Jess Reyling - Peoria, IL (originally from Chillicothe, IL) 30 years old; Stay at Home Mom

Emme Tyler - Los Angeles, CA 30 years old; Owner of Skinny Batches

William Garrett Wallace - Waverly,TN 36 years old; Cake artist at Fabulous Baker Boy

The series fan site can be found at http://tlc.com/nextgreatbaker.

NEXT GREAT BAKER is produced for TLC by High Noon Entertainment.





  [november 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· CAKE BOSS (DFC)
· NEXT GREAT BAKER, THE (TLC)




[06/06/25 - 07:30 AM]
Following +30% Surge in Viewership for the Season 4B Premiere, Showtime Renews "Couples Therapy"
The series follows world-renowned psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Orna Guralnik as she deftly guides couples through real-life therapy sessions.

[06/05/25 - 11:06 PM]
Max Original Documentary Series "Most Wanted: Teen Hacker" Debuts This September
The series follows the illegal exploits of Finnish hacker Julius Kivimäki, known as Aleksanteri Kivimäki, who rose to infamy after forcing a U.S. passenger plane to make an emergency landing, shutting down PlayStation globally and orchestrating several dangerous SWAT attacks - including one targeting the family of an FBI agent.
[06/05/25 - 08:01 PM]
A Tender Tale Unfolds: "The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity" Premieres July 6
Serialized on the official Weekly Shonen Magazine app, Magazine Pocket, the manga has distinguished itself in the shonen genre, selling over five million copies as of June 2025.
[06/05/25 - 12:30 PM]
Shocking Limited True Crime Docu-Series, "Butchers of L.A.," Premieres Thursday, June 26 on SundanceTV, Sundance Now and AMC+
Airing weekly, the three-part series sheds new light on the horrifying crimes of the "Freeway Killers" who terrorized Southern California over two decades.
[06/05/25 - 11:01 AM]
ESPN Events Announces 17-Game College Football Bowl Schedule for 2025-26 Season
Bowl Season will begin Saturday, December 13, with the 10th edition of the ESPN Events' Cricket Celebration Bowl.
[06/05/25 - 11:01 AM]
Truths and Rumors Come to a Boiling Point When Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" Returns for a New Season on Thursday, July 10 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
Housewives Shannon Storms Beador, Heather Dubrow, Tamra Judge, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson, Jennifer Pedranti and Katie Ginella return for an unforgettable season as the ladies set out to uncover the truth, restore trust, heal broken bonds and everything that lies between.
[06/05/25 - 11:01 AM]
BET Announces the Highly Anticipated Return of "Ms. Pat Settles It" for a Third Season
As previously announced, BET Media Group extended its multi-year overall deal with Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams under which she will produce and perform in new series and other projects across BET.
[06/05/25 - 11:00 AM]
Prime Video Reveals Premiere Date, First Look Images, and Teaser Art for "Butterfly," Starring and Executive Produced by Daniel Dae Kim
The spy-thriller series will premiere all episodes on August 13 and also stars Reina Hardesty, Piper Perabo, and Louis Landau.
[06/05/25 - 10:32 AM]
ESPN Reveals 33-Game College Football Bowl Season Slate for 2025-26
The postseason slate, including 17 ESPN Events' owned-and-operated bowls, starts Saturday, December 13, and runs through Friday, January 2.
[06/05/25 - 10:04 AM]
"My Big Fat Fabulous Life," "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?" and "Welcome to Plathville" Return This July
This July, TLC expands its summer slate with the return of three hit series - each offering new beginnings, evolving relationships, and unforgettable personalities navigating love, family, and personal growth.

[06/05/25 - 10:01 AM]
Starz Renews "The BMF Documentary: Blowing Money Fast" for Season Two
The docuseries, which dives deeper into the real stories of the Black Mafia Family figures who inspired the "BMF" scripted series, will also serve as a complement to the fourth season of "BMF," premiering Friday, June 6.
[06/05/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In the mid-2000s, a new clothing brand emerged, capturing the attention of fashion enthusiasts and young adults across America.

[06/05/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Surviving Ohio State" Debuts June 17
The film tells the story of the male victims of Dr. Richard Strauss, a sports medicine physician and serial sex abuser employed by The Ohio State University (OSU) from 1978 to 1998.

[06/05/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: ALLBLK Releases Trailer and Key Art for Original Feature Film, "Operation: Aunties" Premiering Friday, July 11
After an attempted trafficking incident impacts her family, professor and blockchain expert Dr. Carol Cleavers (Melissa De Sousa) uncovers a dark web trafficking ring targeting women through a rideshare app.
[06/05/25 - 10:00 AM]
Prime Video Reveals First Look Images from the Upcoming Music Drama Series "The Runarounds"
Featuring original music performed by the band at the center of the story, the eight-episode series will premiere this fall exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.