Host and award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay and acclaimed chef Graham Elliot welcome judge Christina Tosi, renowned pastry chef, owner and founder of New York City’s Milk Bar, to Season Six of MASTERCHEF, premiering with a special two-hour event Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The culinary smash hit moves into its regular time period the following week on Wednesday, May 27 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).

More hopefuls than ever before auditioned at MASTERCHEF’s open casting calls in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Los Angeles, CA; Memphis, TN; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA;  and San Francisco, CA; to prove they have what it takes to make a mark on the culinary world. Only one talented home cook will join MASTERCHEF winners Courtney Lapresi (Season Five); Luca Manfe (Season Four); Christine Ha (Season Three), the first-ever blind contestant; Jennifer Behm (Season Two); and Whitney Miller (Season One) in the elite group of MASTERCHEF titleholders.

This season will feature 40 contestants from all walks of life representing 16 states – including an engineer, chiropractor, elementary music teacher, petroleum landman, fashion stylist and a drummer – all with the hopes of turning their culinary dreams into reality.

Below are the hometowns, names and professions of the Top 40 Home Cooks who participated in the MASTERCHEF Battle for the Apron:

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In the premiere episode, 40 of the best home cooks in America will travel to Los Angeles to present their signature dishes to the distinguished judging panel: Ramsay (Gordon Ramsay Steak, Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, Gordon Ramsay BurGR), Elliot (Graham Elliot Bistro) and Tosi (Milk Bar). The judges will taste for flavor, creativity and presentation. In order to move to the next round, the home cooks must have an immense passion for food and be determined to out-cook their rivals in a series of head-to-head battles to earn a coveted white apron.

Once the Battle for the Apron concludes, the top home cooks will be put through their paces in a series of challenges designed to test their palates, food knowledge, passion and culinary skills. Later, the hopefuls visit an amusement park to create amusement park-themed meals; cook for Las Vegas jugglers, magicians and dancers; visit a cattle ranch to prepare meals for ranchers and cowboys; and face the infamous restaurant takeover. With each new challenge, the pressure will mount as the home cooks compete for the coveted title of MASTERCHEF, a cookbook deal and the $250,000 grand prize. MASTERCHEF will also reach a milestone this season, celebrating its 100^th episode of the series.

MASTERCHEF is produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Endemol Shine. Elisabeth Murdoch, Eden Gaha, Robin Ashbrook, Gordon Ramsay, Adeline Ramage Rooney, Patricia Llewellyn and Ben Adler serve as executive producers.  “Like” MASTERCHEF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MasterChef. Follow the series on Twitter @MASTERCHEFonFOX and join the discussion with #masterchef. Follow the judges on Twitter: Gordon Ramsay - @gordonramsay; Graham Elliot - @grahamelliot; Christina Tosi - @christinatosi.

About One Potato Two Potato

Renowned for award-winning original programming, One Potato Two Potato produces high-quality TV shows on both sides of the Atlantic, including the smash-hit HOTEL HELL, the blockbuster MASTERCHEF and irresistible spin-off MASTERCHEF JUNIOR, all for FOX; new cable food series, “Best New Restaurant,” which premiered in January and competition series “Food Court Wars.” In the U.K., “Gordon Ramsay Behind Bars” and “Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape,” for Channel 4; food biography and nostalgia series “My Kitchen,” for UKTV’s Good Food Channel; and “Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch,” starring Tilly Ramsay for U.K. children’s channel CBBC. OPTP has also produced two instructional cookery series featuring Gordon Ramsay, “Ultimate Home Cooking” and “Ultimate Cookery Course,” both of which have sold all over the globe. 

About Endemol Shine North America

Endemol Shine North America delivers world-class content and compelling storytelling to multiple platforms in the U.S. and across the globe. Endemol Shine North America is part of Endemol Shine Group, the newly launched global content creator, producer and distributor with a diverse portfolio of companies in the U.S. that are behind some of the most prominent hit television formats and series in the world. Its Endemol Shine Latino division oversees all Spanish-language sales and development in both the U.S. and Mexico. And subsidiary production companies include Authentic Entertainment, Original Media, True Entertainment and 51 Minds Entertainment. In addition, Endemol Shine North America has a strategic partnership with Ryan Seacrest Productions.

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Endemol Shine Group’s companies in North America are behind hit series, including “Below Deck” (Bravo), “Big Brother” (CBS), “The Biggest Loser” (NBC), BULLSEYE (FOX), “Fake Off (TruTV), “Hell on Wheels” (AMC), “Ink Master” (Spike), “It Takes a Church” (GSN), “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” (E!), “Kingdom” (DirecTV), “Knife Fight” (Esquire),  MASTERCHEF (FOX), MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (FOX), “Restaurant Startup” (CNBC), “Swamp People” (History), “The Island” (NBC), “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” (Bravo), “Steve Harvey” (NBCU),”T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle” (VH1), “Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge” (CMT), “Wipeout” (ABC) and many more. 

[EDITOR’S NOTE: For episodic photos and more information on MASTERCHEF, please visit http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z2z2z308.]

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