The new season of Worst Cooks in America: Reality Check puts a fresh group of celebrities to the test in the kitchen. Chefs Jeff Mauro and Tiffany Derry are guiding these recruits through a culinary boot camp. Derry explains that the first episode is all about finding the starting point for each person, noting their lack of skill but watching for any basic understanding of cooking.
“The baseline cook, it’s the first time you get a chance to see the recruits cook,” Derry said. “Obviously, none of them can cook. But, like, can they hold a knife right? Do they understand flavors? Are they doing something good along the way? I think it’s a great way to show the baseline of who you are”.
Season 30, which has a celebrity theme called Reality Check, premiered on Food Network on January 4, 2026. The celebrity recruits are competing for a $25,000 prize for their chosen charity.
Meet the Celebrity Recruits in Culinary Boot Camp
The new recruits for this season are well-known faces from various reality TV shows and entertainment fields. The group includes Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Lisa Barlow, and Dancing With The Stars professional Val Chmerkovskiy.
Other recruits are television personality “Downtown” Julie Brown, Shahs of Sunset alum Reza Farahan, and singer/actress Amara La Negra from Love & Hip Hop: Miami. The cast also features RuPaul’s Drag Race star Manila Luzon, actor and rapper Romeo “Lil Romeo” Miller, actress Beverley Mitchell from 7th Heaven, and longtime The Challenge competitor C.T. Tamburello.
Tiffany Derry’s Approach to Teaching Absolute Beginners
Stepping into the mentor role for the second time, Derry went in with a teaching mindset shaped by her experience. She was told repeatedly that the contestants have no cooking experience, but she still found their starting level surprising.
“Anne [Burrell], Food Network, everyone tried to warn me. They were like, ‘Look, they don’t cook,’” Derry shared. “These people don’t cook at all. They don’t make breakfast. They don’t do anything for themselves”.
Derry decided to treat the experience like the first day of a cooking class. “You don’t know what you think you know. You know nothing. You only know what I’m going to tell you, and that’s the only thing I want you to know right now,” she explained. Her goal is to break everything down to the most basic steps, starting with tools as simple as a can opener.
Jeff Mauro on the New Season and Dynamic with Derry
Co-host Jeff Mauro, known as the “Sandwich King,” returns as a mentor. He shared his thoughts on the new celebrity-focused season and working with Derry. “The celebrity seasons of Worst Cooks are my favorite to be chef mentors for because reality television stars come with a certain energy that is unmatched and unparalleled,” Mauro said. “Plus, they make a lot of TV, so they know how to hit their marks. But they are super competitive”.
Mauro praised his new co-host, saying, “She is my new fav. She is so experienced and so accomplished. She is great at diving in and instructing. For these recruits, it takes a certain skillset. You have to speak the language, not only culinary stars but reality star personalities. She is really good at it”.
The season continues without longtime host Anne Burrell, who passed away. Mauro addressed this change, saying, “I had the honor of co-hosting several seasons with Anne, as well as being close personal friends with her. I know we worked well together and loved working together. Her legend lives on, and I’m more than honored to carry that torch into the future. I know she would approve”.
Hilarious and Shocking Moments from the First Cook
Promos for the season premiere show the kind of kitchen disasters the show is famous for, but also the small glimmers of hope the chefs look for. In one clip, as Derry talks about the recruits’ ability to simply “hold the knife,” a female contestant admits she is afraid of both knives and fire.
Questions about basic ingredients arise immediately. One recruit asked, “What is smoked paprika?” demonstrating a common lack of flavor knowledge. Mauro also commented on the surprisingly low skill level, singling out Lisa Barlow. “You watch her on her first cook… it’s abysmal. You can’t believe these people are functioning adults, let alone celebrities and TV stars,” he said.
Derry watches closely for any positive signs during these early struggles. The goal is to see if a recruit, while clearly inexperienced, does at least one thing correctly—like properly melting butter in a pot—which can be a foundation to build upon.
The Competition Format and Challenges
The season follows the familiar Worst Cooks format but with entertainment-themed twists. The first episode, titled “Reality Check: Lights, Camera, Boot Camp,” begins with a baseline challenge where the celebrities must create what they believe is a “red-carpet-worthy dish” to show their starting skills.
The first main dish challenge has the chefs teaching their teams how to make piri piri chicken, a bold and spicy dish. The least successful recruits from this challenge then face a blind elimination cook-off, where only one gets to stay in the competition.
Later in the season, recruits will tackle themed challenges like “Blockbuster Bites,” “The Worst Lotus,” and “Agents of Flavor”. Mauro hinted at the drama and dedication these challenges bring out, noting there are “lots of tears, lots of cuts, lots of burning” and that emotions can run high in the kitchen.
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Where to Watch and Stream the New Season
New episodes of Worst Cooks in America: Reality Check air on the Food Network. The season premiered with a special on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 8|7c.
For viewers who want to catch up, the first episode is available to stream on Food Network’s website and app. Replays are also scheduled; for instance, an episode aired on Monday, January 12, at 6am | 5c.
Derry herself hosted a watch party for the premiere at her restaurant, Roots Southern Table in Farmers Branch, Texas, featuring a special three-course meal and a question-and-answer session.
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