Worst Cooks in America season 22

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Contents

Worst Cooks in America
Season 22
Judges
No. of contestants8
WinnerMercedes “Sadie” Manda
Runner-up Domaine Javier
No. of episodes6
Release
Original network Food Network
Original releaseApril 25 (2021-04-25) –
May 30, 2021 (2021-05-30)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 21
Next →
Season 23

Worst Cooks in America 22, also known as Best of the Worst, is the twenty-second season of the American competitive reality television series Worst Cooks in America . This is the first iteration of the all-star editions. This season It premiered on Food Network on April 25, 2021 and concluded on May 30, 2021. Mercedes “Sadie” Manda was the winner of this season, with Domaine Javier as the runner-up.

Format

Worst Cooks in America is an American reality television series in which former contestants (referred to as "recruits") with poor cooking skills undergo a culinary boot camp for the chance to win $25,000 and a Food Network cooking set. [1] [2] The recruits are trained on the various basic cooking techniques including baking, knife skills, temperature, seasoning and preparation. Each episode features two core challenges: the Skills Drill, which tests their grasp of basic techniques demonstrated by the chef mentors, and the Main Dish Challenge, where they must apply those skills to recreate or invent a more complex dish under specific guidelines. The weakest performer is eliminated at the end of each episode. The final two contestants prepare a restaurant-quality, three-course meal for a panel of food critics, who evaluate the dishes based on taste, presentation, and overall improvement. [3]

Judges

Michael Symon joins Anne Burrell for the first time to host a new Best of the Worst season where fan-favorite recruits from past seasons return for another chance at redemption. The season premiered on April 25, 2021. [4]

Recruits

ContestantHometownOccupationTeamStatus
Mercedes “Sadie” Manda
Season 17 		Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaNon-Profit AssociateAnneWinner
on May 30, 2021
Domaine Javier
Season 20 		San Gabriel, CaliforniaTrans Actress, Writer, NurseMichaelRunner-up
on May 30, 2021
Stephanie James
Season 21 		Chicago, IllinoisPostal ClerkAnneFinalist
on May 30, 2021
Dr. Lulu Boykin
Season 18 		Pittsboro, North CarolinaTeaching ArtistMichael
Jefferson Goldie
Season 18		Chicago, IllinoisMusicianMichaelEliminated
on May 23, 2021
Jonathan Beyer
Season 17		New York, New YorkOpera SingerAnneEliminated May 16, 2021
Eric Smart
Season 20		Los Angeles, CaliforniaSpecial InvestigatorMichaelEliminated
on May 9, 2021
Joey Kinsley
Season 21		Cleveland, OhioDigital Marketing SpecialistAnneEliminated
on May 2, 2021

Elimination Chart

  Team Anne
  Team Michael
RankContestantEpisode
123456
1SadieWININWININWINWINNER
2DomaineWININININWINRUNNER-UP
3StephanieINWINBTMWINBTMFINALIST
4LuluININWINWININ
5JeffersonBTMBTMINBTMOUT
6JonathanBTMINIMMOUT
7EricINWINOUT
8JoeyINOUT
Key
  (WINNER) This contestant won the competition and was crowned "Best of the Worst".
  (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was the runner-up in the finals of the competition.
  (FINALIST) The contestant was a finalist in the finals of the competition.
  (IMM) The contestant won immunity and was safe from elimination in the week's Main Dish Challenge.
  (WIN) The contestant did the best on their team in the week's Main Dish challenge or Skill Drill and was considered the winner.
  (BTM) The contestant was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Main Dish challenge but was not eliminated.
  (OUT) The contestant lost that week's Main Dish challenge and was out of the competition.

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal release date  [5]
1611"Best of the Worst: Ready for Redemption"April 25, 2021 (2021-04-25)
1622"Best of the Worst: Viva Las Boot Camp"May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02)
1633"Best of the Worst: Happy Campers"May 9, 2021 (2021-05-09)
1644"Best of the Worst: Fly Me to the Flavor"May 16, 2021 (2021-05-16)
1655"Best of the Worst: Choux Ready for This?"May 23, 2021 (2021-05-23)
1666"Best of the Worst: No Cuts, No Glory"May 30, 2021 (2021-05-30)

References

  1. ↑ Lynch, Rene (January 2, 2010). "'Worst Cooks in America' isn't just a title: They're horrible". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  2. ↑ Tucker, Ken (January 4, 2010). "'Worst Cooks in America': Worst thing I watched most of last night". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  3. ↑ Worst Cooks in America (Comedy, Game-Show, Reality-TV), Anne Burrell, Tyler Florence, Bobby Flay, Optomen Productions, January 3, 2010, retrieved July 24, 2025{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. ↑ "Michael Symon Joins Anne Burrell to Mentor Fan-Favorite Recruits Toward A Chance to Redemption Worst Cooks in America: Best of the Worst". Discovery LLC Press Release. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Shows A-Z - worst cooks in america on foodnetwork". The Futon Critic . Retrieved July 27, 2025.
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