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)




[05/05/26 - 04:00 PM]
"The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins" Renewed for Season Two
The series is the #1 new comedy of the 2025-26 season in the 18-49 demo.
[05/05/26 - 03:52 PM]
ESPN Networks Aired Its Most Viewed First Round of the Current Rights Deal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
ESPN also delivered three of the top five matchups in the First Round including the Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins Game 1 (2.1 million viewers).
[05/05/26 - 03:36 PM]
NBC and Peacock Deliver the Most-Watched First Round Game 7 in NBA History for Saturday Night's 76ers-Celtics
Saturday night's matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 11.0 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.
[05/05/26 - 02:24 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Flexes Double-Digit Season-to-Date Viewership Increase
2,130,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX on Saturday, May 2, for a two-game slate highlighted by the Cardinals' 3-2 Victory over the Dodgers in most of the country.
[05/05/26 - 02:01 PM]
MGM+ Releases First Look at "American Hostage" Starring Emmy Award Winner Jon Hamm
The psychological thriller tells the harrowing true story of Fred Heckman, a beloved Indianapolis radio reporter who is thrust into the middle of a life-or-death crisis when hostage-taker Tony Kiritsis demands to be interviewed on his popular radio news program.
[05/05/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 27 - The Hunt Continues as "Apex" Takes No. 1 for a Second Week
Plus: Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but "Man on Fire" served it up hot, reaching No. 1 on the English TV list with 11 million views.
[05/05/26 - 11:46 AM]
The Rolling Stones Bring Three Nights of Satisfaction to "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" This Month
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood are each set to appear across three separate episodes.
[05/05/26 - 11:31 AM]
OWN's "Heart & Hustle: Houston" Returns May 30 for a High-Stakes Second Season Filled with Fractured Friendships, Bold New Beginnings and Unstoppable Ambition
This season, the bonds that once united the group are tested like never before.
[05/05/26 - 11:00 AM]
Video: Sofia Receives a Visit From Rapunzel in Official Trailer for New Series "Sofia the First: Royal Magic," Debuting May 25 on Disney Jr. and Next Day on Disney+
Additionally, a new short-form series, "Sofia the First: Magical Friends," is also available now on the Disney Jr. channel, Disney+, and Disney Jr. YouTube.
[05/05/26 - 10:31 AM]
Starz's Adrenaline-Fueled New Drama "Fightland" Set to Premiere July 31
The network also released first-look images introducing viewers to the gritty world and the dangerous characters at the heart of the newest family crime drama.
[05/05/26 - 09:55 AM]
Comedian Larry the Cable Guy to Host New Series "American Mayhem"
The high-energy clip show celebrates the wildest, funniest, and most outrageous moments caught on camera across the U.S., all brought to life by the beloved funnyman whose unmistakable voice and humor have made him a household name.
[05/05/26 - 09:31 AM]
New Doc "The American Experiment" Marks The Nation's 250th Anniversary
Streaming this June 24 on Netflix, the five-part historical documentary reexamines the improbable achievement that was the nation's founding, and the radical question at the center of the American Revolution: Can a people govern themselves?
[05/05/26 - 09:01 AM]
Yep! Hulu's "King of the Hill" Season 15 Premieres July 20
Hank and Peggy settle into retirement life on Rainey Street while attempting to keep their neighbors from going off the rails.

[05/05/26 - 09:00 AM]
The History Channel to Premiere New Documentary "The Clash of Nations: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling" on June 19
This powerful documentary explores one of the most iconic rivalries in sports history between heavyweight champions Joe Louis and Max Schmeling.

[05/05/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: Peace Will Have to Wait... "Dutton Ranch" Official Trailer Is Out Now
Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly are joined in the new series by Academy Award nominees Ed Harris and Annette Bening.