COMPETITORS FACE THE HEAT IN NEW FOOD NETWORK SERIES "KITCHEN INFERNO"

Hosted by Curtis Stone, Chefs Go to Battle for a Chance to Win up to $25,000

Series Premieres Wednesday, November 5th at 10pm ET/PT

NEW YORK - October 6, 2014 - Host Curtis Stone turns up the heat in new Food Network primetime culinary competition, Kitchen Inferno, premiering Wednesday, November 5th at 10pm ET/PT. The game is simple but the stakes are red hot. Each episode features talented chefs going head-to-head in culinary showdowns over four possible rounds. Each round will have a blind taste-test judged by the Inferno's panel of judges to determine which dish is best. If the competing chef is victorious, they have the chance to move up to the next level, with each round advancement growing in difficulty as they bring the skills of a new culinary talent to battle against. The contestants also face a pivotal choice: take the money and run, or risk it all for a chance to reach the final round and win up to $25,000, all in front of a studio audience. If they lose, they will watch their winnings go up in smoke and leave with nothing. Can these chefs cook their way through four rounds in this blazing competition for the ultimate prize?

"The challengers not only have to go against some of the best chefs in the world, but must also make the high pressure and high stakes decision of moving forward or walking away with any money they have won, all as an audience is watching their every move and decision each step of the way," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President Programming, Food Network. "Curtis Stone is perfect at pushing all the right buttons, to bring out the competitive fires in each chef."

In the sizzling premiere, James Beard nominated chef Duane Nutter, and the pride of New Orleans' chef Tory McPhail take on Kitchen Inferno's culinary gladiators. One challenger is playing for charity, the other playing for an entire city. With the Inferno's panel of judges, including chef Daniel Green, chef Judy Joo, and chef Michael Ruhlman, determining which dish is best, who will reign supreme battling it out over ultimate hot dogs and stuffed burgers? Will one lucky winner be able to move up the levels for a chance to win $25,000? Don't miss all the action over eight episodes, as these talented chefs from across the country battle it out in the kitchen for bragging rights and the grand prize, against some of the most elite chefs around - including amongst others - Michael Chiarello, Madison Cowan, Elizabeth Falkner, Jet Tila, Geoffrey Zakarian, and possibly even Curtis Stone himself.

Curtis Stone is an internationally-known chef, TV host, entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Curtis first found his passion for food while watching his grandmother make her legendary fudge and his mother roast her perfect pork crackling. After finishing culinary school, he took a job at the Savoy hotel in Melbourne before heading to London, where he honed his skills under legendary three-star Michelin genius, Marco Pierre White. While living in London, Curtis appeared in several U.K. cooking shows before catching the eye of television producers in Australia. Curtis has appeared on numerous daytime and primetime television shows. Curtis most recently opened his first restaurant, Maude in Beverly Hills in February 2014, which has received rave reviews from LA Magazine, Angeleno and more.

Viewers can visit FoodNetwork.com/KitchenInferno for behind-the-scenes photos and more from the competition.

Kitchen Inferno is produced by Relativity Lifestyle Television, a division of Relativity Television.

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FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and up to 35 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine's rate base has grown tenfold and is now the second largest monthly magazine on the newsstand, with over 11.6 million readers. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24-hour networks in the United Kingdom, Asia, and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com) and Great American Country (www.gactv.com), is the manager and general partner.