FOOD NETWORK SPREADS SCRUMPTIOUS HOLIDAY CHEER WITH THE RETURN OF "HOLIDAY BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP"

Series Premiere Sunday, November 1st at 9:00pm ET/PT on Food Network

New York - September 16, 2015 - Dessert is a favorite part of every traditional holiday meal and is looked forward to with great anticipation all year long. On Sunday, November 1st at 9:00pm ET/PT Holiday Baking Championship returns, delivering decadent baked goods galore as ten talented bakers compete to create the most irresistibly delicious holiday treats. Bobby Deen presides as host as the contestants strive to prove their baking skills in difficult challenges that celebrate the most wonderful time of year. Based on taste, technique, presentation, and creativity judges Duff Goldman (Kids Baking Championship), Nancy Fuller (Farmhouse Rules), and Lorraine Pascale (Lorraine's Fast, Fresh and Easy Food) determine who will be crowned the winner and take home the grand prize of $50,000 and the title of Holiday Baking Champion!

"The return of Holiday Baking Championship is sweeter than ever with new challenges and irresistible classic holiday treats that are sure to inspire viewers in their own kitchens," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President Programming, Food Network.

It is not just sugar and spice, and everything nice in each of the eight hour-long episodes of this exhilarating competition. On the first episode, the bakers' must go nuts for the holidays. In the pre-heat round, the competitors must select a nutcracker to reveal their assigned classic holiday nut with possibilities ranging from chestnuts, walnuts, pecans, to almonds that must be incorporated into their chocolate-nutty confection. The contestant with the best treat will win a special advantage in the main heat challenge, where they must highlight their favorite holiday memory in the form of a decorated pie. Who will hit the sweet spot, and who will get eliminated from the competition?

Fans can meet the competitors, relive highlights from the show, catch behind-the-scenes moments with the host and judges, and discover complementary baking tips and recipes on FoodNetwork.com/HolidayBakingChampionship. Plus, they can get in the holiday spirit with Duff's Sweet Spot, an exclusive web series where Duff Goldman whips up outrageously festive creations based on the challenges in each episode. To join the baking banter on Twitter use #HolidayBakingChamionship.

Holiday Baking Championship is produced by Triage Entertainment.

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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 13 times and is now the third largest monthly magazine on the newsstand, with over 12.4 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.