New York, NY – BBC AMERICA to premiere its new original series from Executive Producer Jamie Oliver, Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S., with two back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, October 2. Ahead of the premiere, BBC AMERICA will present a special preview of the first episode on Saturday September 29, 10:00pm ET, following the mid-season finale of Doctor Who. Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S. premieres with two back-to-back episodes on Tuesday October 2, 9:00pm ET and 10:00pm ET.  The series continues in its regular timeslot on Tuesday, October 9, 10:00pm ET.

Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S. pits 16 chefs – eight Brits versus eight Americans – against each other as they race across the country using their culinary skills and business savvy in the hopes of winning a grand prize of $100,000 dollars. Michelin-starred London restaurateur, Richard Corrigan (Masterchef), serves as a mentor and judge and Claire Robinson (5 Ingredient Fix) hosts the new original series.

Jamie Oliver, Executive Producer, Fresh One says: “The restaurant business is one of the toughest in the world and to be successful in it these days takes so much more than just being able to cook. You’ve got to have a good business sense, vision, leadership and so much more. This series is the first time that anyone has really dug deep into what it takes to be successful and it’s going to take an incredible individual to win it.”

The race starts on the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, where Team U.K. and Team U.S. are stripped of their cash and credit cards and challenged to cook to survive, prosper and win. In the 10 one-hour episodes, the teams battle coast to coast from Los Angeles to New York City, with the chefs living off their cooking skills, resourcefulness, ingenuity, leadership and finesseto survive and make it to their next destination. They’ll need to make enough cash, and maybe a few friends, in order to make it to the next checkpoint. In the beginning, they will work as teams and cook to turn a profit. The team with the biggest profit moves on and the losing team faces team member elimination by way of a cook-off. In the end there will only be one winner.

The chefs range in experience – from working in Michelin-starred restaurants to having studied at prestigious culinary institutes to no formal training at all. The 4,000 mile road trip has them competing in Los Angeles – Albuquerque and Sante Fe, New Mexico – Grand Mesa, Colorado – Dodge City, Kansas – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Fort Smith, Arkansas – Memphis, Tennessee – St. Louis, Missouri – Springfield and Chicago, Illinois – Detroit, Michigan – Bedford, Ohio – Baltimore, Maryland and New York City.

From dealing with an entire bison in New Mexico, fishing in the Great Lakes and maneuvering a mobile pizza oven in Chicago to tackling serious barbeque in Memphis and whipping up their best crab cake in Maryland, these chefs must prove they’ve got what it takes when thrust into the rich diversity of American cuisine. Not only will they have to prove their culinary weight, they’ll be forced to stay formidable against teammates with big egos and sharp tongues. Resourcefulness, ingenuity, leadership and finesse will be just as important on their 4,000 mile adventure as the tastiness of their delectable creations.
Chef Race: U.K. vs.. U.S. is produced by Fresh One Productions for BBC AMERICA.  Jamie Oliver (Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution), Amy Chacon (The Amazing Race), Stef Wagstaffe (Undercover Boss), Roy Ackerman (Reagan, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution), Sebastian Grant (Lilly Allen and Friends) and Jo Ralling (Jamie’s American Road Trip) serve as executive producers for Fresh One Productions.

Click to Tweet:.@BBCAMERICA premieres new series #ChefRace, exec produced by @JamieOliver, following Brit and American chefs as they race across the U.S.

EPISODE 1 – VEGAS OR BUST
Two mighty nations, Team U.K. and Team U.S. face off in the ultimate on-the-road culinary challenge as the two teams of eight chefs cook their way across the country from Los Angeles to New York City. First stop is Las Vegas via the mining town of Calico. In this episode, the teams are given no money, no credit cards and no ingredients. With only their chef knifes, they must barter and trade their services to advance them over land to Las Vegas.  Team U.K. goes to its roots, hosting a high tea in Los Angeles, but will they self-destruct before a single person shows up? Meanwhile, Team U.S.’s bold attempt to prepare a sushi dinner for a family in the bathroom of a Las Vegas hotel may yield high dividends. The team that makes the most money will be the winning team, and the losers must sacrifice three chefs to a cook-off where one losing chef will be sent home.Episode 1 premieres Tuesday, October 2, 9:00pm ET. BBC AMERICA will present a preview on Saturday, September 29, 10:00pm ET.

EPISODE 2 – BISON BATTLE
Team U.K. and Team U.S. are each given an incredible cooking ingredient in New Mexico: an entire bison – 400 pounds worth.  Their goal is to sell all of the meat at the highest price they can muster before they reach the finish line in Santa Fe.  The Brits have wild animal chefs on board who quickly rise to the occasion. But can the Americans overcome dissension within the ranks and agree upon a leader? Cody rises to the challenge, but not everyone likes him. The finish line is explosive. Episode 2 premieres Tuesday, October 2, 10:00pm ET.

EPISODE 3 – KILL IT, COOK IT, EAT IT
10,000 acres of Colorado wilderness becomes the kitchen for the chefs. Team U.K. and Team U.S. must hunt, fish and forage to make the meal of a lifetime for locals.  The Brits are led by forager Mark who feels right at home, but some Brits have no clue about living off the land. Meanwhile, former Marine sharp shooter Ronaldo hunts prairie dogs and whips up a recipe for a prairie dog stew. It’s anyone’s guess which team will satisfy the locals’ cravings. Episode 3 premieres Tuesday, October 9, 10:00pm ET.

EPISODE 4 – FOREIGN EXCHANGE
The teams travel to the great western frontier town of Dodge City, Kansas. Tables are literally turned as the teams are challenged to each cook six classic dishes from each other’s country. Can Team U.S. figure out what on earth “Spotted Dick” is? And, British chef Carlo, who has lived in the States for years, becomes the secret weapon for Team U.K. with his Louisiana gumbo. Episode 4 premieres Tuesday, October 16, 10:00pm ET.

Details on all remaining episodes will be released on a later date.

BIOS
Richard Corrigan – Mentor
Richard Corrigan is the chef owner of Corrigan Restaurants which operates Bentley’s and Corrigan’s Mayfair in London.

Bentley’s Sea Grill opened in Harrods in September 2012.

Richard spent four years cooking in the Netherlands before progressing to become head chef of Mulligan’s in Mayfair, London. His first Michelin star was awarded when he was head chef at Stephen Bull’s in 1994. He continued with his own venture Lindsay House in Soho, and won a Michelin star in 1997. Richard bought the world famous, an oyster and seafood restaurant Bentley’s in 2005.

Corrigan’s Mayfair opened to ecstatic acclaim in 2008. The restaurant was named London Restaurant of the Year 2008/2009 by the Evening Standard, awarded AA London Restaurant of the Year, and gained the Highest New Entry in the National Restaurant Awards at No5 and 3 AA Rosettes within the first three months.

In recent years Richard has made lunch at 10 Downing Street for Tony Blair and for the King & Queen of Jordan, and prepared food at the Royal Academy of Arts in an event attended by and for the Queen as part of the Jubilee celebrations. Richard has been crowned winner of the BBC’s Great British Menu, three times. Richard also won the recent Great British Waste Menu special, airing to over 7 million on BBC 1. Further credits include Channel 4’s Cookery School, Great British Food Revival, Full on Food, Something for The Weekend and Saturday Kitchen, all BBC, Market Kitchen, UKTV, This Morning , and The Wright Stuff, and has hosted the Irish primetime television series, Corrigan Knows Food, one of Ireland’s most popular TV shows.

Richard is the author of The Clatter of Forks and Spoons a personal history of growing up in Ireland and recipes inspired by his rural upbringing.

Claire Robinson – Host
Chef Race will see host, Claire Robinson, combine her two passions in life – food and television. Influenced by her French-speaking grandmother, and her well travelled mother, Claire says her love of food is a joy that has been passed through many generations.

Born in Jacksonville, Fla. Claire and her family spent time in St. Augustine, Fla.; Houston; and New Orleans but ultimately settled in Memphis, Tenn. Claire graduated from The University of Memphis in 1999 with a B.A. in Communications. While in college, Claire worked at Maggie’s Pharm where she learned to appreciate the amazing flavors, scents and uses for exotic herbs and spices – a love she applies to her cooking today. Claire then went onto gain behind-the-scenes media experience at Memphis’ CBS affiliate, WREG-TV, and at WMC-FM radio. At Tiger Sports Properties, a sports marketing agency, Claire handled marketing for The University of Memphis’ athletic department.

In 2004 Claire moved to New York to pursue her true ambition in cooking. She attended The French Culinary Institute and graduated in 2005. Claire then spent time as a private chef as well as a culinary producer on various television series including Food Network’s Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello and PBS’ Everyday Baking for Everyday Food. But her talents in front of the camera quickly became apparent. Claire herself confesses that behind the scenes “It was hard for me to keep quiet while someone else talked”.

Her television experience includes ‘5 Ingredient Fix’ – where Claire proves delicious dishes only need five ingredients or fewer to make cooking easier, faster and irresistible. As well as ‘Food Network Challenge’ a showcase of the biggest and best food battles around the world, she also has her own cookery book entitled ‘5 Ingredient Fix’.

In terms of cooking, Claire believes the best dishes feature carefully-selected fresh foods with distinct flavors, a straightforward cooking style that also promotes healthy and seasonal eating. When Claire isn’t in the kitchen, you can find her enjoying a multitude of adventures including skydiving, boxing or slalom waterskiing.

TEAM U.K.
Caroline Mi Li Artiss (32) – London
Caroline Mi Li Artiss is one of the first TV chef’s to be discovered on Youtube in the UK. Her passion for food and making cooking easy, enjoyable and accessible has quickly led to Caroline accumulating a large online following. She decided to produce her own cooking show from her kitchen, paying friends with food in exchange for equipment and technical knowledge.

Caroline is half Malaysian and half English which is reflected in her style of cooking. She has been cooking for 16 years and trained to become a chef at Thames Valley University in London.  Caroline has worked in restaurants, done private catering and went on to run a small yet lively kitchen in central London for an Innovation company called What If, where she was involved with product development for brands including Waitrose, Pepisco and Kraft.  Caroline still works on product development for large food brands such as Old El Paso, Jus Roll and Green Giant.

As a single parent, Caroline has overcome a number of obstacles including working full time and studying for a Food and Nutrition diploma, but Caroline succeeded and now runs her own catering business. Her passion for great tasting and healthy food led her to team up with several nutritionists to help people with food intolerances. She created no-fuss recipes to accommodate her clients’ busy lifestyles – including England and Premiership League Footballer Joleon Lescott.  It was at this point in Caroline’s career that she began filming and producing her own YouTube videos.

She says she has had to hustle her whole life, in order to juggle raising her daughter Beth, who is now twelve, while trying to pursue her dreams of becoming a famous chef. She is warm and kind, but says that she has a ‘cooking alter-ego’, which surfaces when she is underestimated or put under pressure in the kitchen. She feels her exterior leads people to the conclusion that she might be a push-over, but she says she is determined and has no problem cutting out the competition. Her passion for adventure and cooking is what inspired her to go for Chef Race.

Previous TV Experience

• Her own Youtube clips
• 13 Episode Malaysian Cookery Series being aired in Asia.

Samantha Dorling (45) – Essex

Sam has cooked on the QEII, and at some of the most prestigious London establishments like the Garrick Club and Grosvenor House.  She has also cooked for many famous people including footballers, the Queen and Margaret Thatcher.

Sam began to cook at school where she realised she had a natural flair for food and it quickly became the only subject she really excelled in. Once she left school she went onto study at Catering College and has never looked back. Sam has also taught special needs children how to cook, an experience she has found extremely fulfilling.

Sam went onto to running her own, very successful business, a burger van called The Crow’s Nest, in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Sam has always harboured a desire to get back to ‘proper cooking’ and sees this as her perfect opportunity. After raising two sons with her husband Michael, whom she has been married to for 21 years, she’s ready for a new adventure, and her family are more than supportive. There are no doubts as to who the boss of the Dorling Clan is!

Sam’s mother describes her as ‘unforgettable, love her or hate her, you won’t forget her’, and Sam admits she can rub people up the wrong way. She’s a team player but if anyone isn’t pulling their weight, Sam will be not hold back. Essex through and through, Sam is loud, feisty, and incredibly funny – although her tiny frame can be deceiving, as she is a true force to be reckoned with and a real live-wire. She might be a mother, but there’s nothing ‘mumsy’ about Sam.

Previous TV Appearances

• Ready, Steady, Cook
• Masterchef Goes Large
• Masterchef
• The F Word

Ed Hoar (31) – London
With no formal training, Ed is an incredibly experienced and passionate cook. He first started cooking professionally when he was 15 and worked at the local pub. Since then he’s worked for a friend’s catering company for six years, as well as being an assistant manager of an up-market delicatessen in trendy Clapham.

Not just a whizz in the kitchen, Ed is a talented pianist and is in a five piece indie band.  Ed is also a keen painter, putting his ‘History of Art’ degree to use in his spare time.

Although mild-mannered and creative, Ed admits that he can be fiery – particularly when fellow chefs are not meeting his standards, admitting “If someone’s crap, I’ll tell them”. He hates to see a chef that has lost their passion, and would rather they left the kitchen than put in a half-hearted effort.

Recently Ed has been working as a freelance chef. He has worked part-time in the culinary world for a while, as he worries that a full-time slog in a kitchen might cause him to lose his passion for all things culinary.

Ed says the idea of combining travel across America with his love for cooking, is what inspired him to be part of the show. He’s happy to sit back and let a situation develop, but he’ll also set his perpetrators right.

Ed has no previous TV experience

Mark Lloyd (36) – Oxfordshire
Mark grew up in the Northumberland and would wile away the hours as a child, catching fish, and exploring his environment.  In his teenage years he became adept at shooting and hunting. His first real ambition was to be a game keeper, but he was warned against this by a family member, who quipped “There’s no money in that”.  With no formal training, Mark’s first big culinary break came at the age of 21, when he covered for a sick chef at his friend’s restaurant in Spain.  He stayed there for nearly 4 years.

After Spain he worked as a Sous Chef at the Cow and Plough in Leicester, where he started a trading scheme with the locals; swapping the pub’s home brewed beer for game, food from allotments, excess meat from farms and anything else to help produce a great menu.

Mark currently lives in Oxfordshire, but staying true to his roots, Mark now runs wild foraging courses, and aside from David Attenborough is one of a handful of people in the country allowed to take anything from the SSSI Wittenham Clumps, Oxfordshire.  Chef, forager and wild food expert, Mark Lloyd has over 20 years experience of cooking with wild, foraged, seasonal British produce. Mark has also trained millitary personnel how to cook in the most challenging situations, and is an accomplished tracker and hunter. He’s a firm believer in nose to tail eating – using every part of an animal, and having raised his own pigs, sheep and cattle right through to the slaughter process feels a great responsibility for his food.

Mark is a huge character,who totally believes in himself and his own abilities. Being  a natural leader, Mark is never one to shy away from a challenge. He can be brutally honest about fellow chefs and will NEVER settle for second place.

Previous TV Experience

• River Cottage – Channel 4
• Market Kitchen
• Great British Waste Menu

Johnnie Mountain (44) – London
Having worked in the catering world for over twenty years, Johnnie Mountain finally found his true vocation in 1994 when he started working in restaurant kitchens and instantly knew that’s where he belonged. In 1995 Johnnie worked as Sous Chef at Café Dell Ugo before going on to work with Alastair Little, he then joined The Vine in Kentish Town, London

He opened his first restaurant in Wood Green, and has since gone on to open his latest venture, The English Pig, a restaurant in Westminster where he is now a permanent fixture.

Johnnie is originally from the North West, and if every inch the ‘straight-talking Northener’. He’s unpredictable and certainly doesn’t suffer fools gladly. He’s worked hard to achieve the success he has, and refuses to be belittled or patronized by anyone.

He has an infectious personality, although it may make his audience blush, but under his prickly exterior is definitely a heart of gold. Johnnie married his wife in 2005, and is the father of Lily (7) and Hari (almost 6), Johnnie lives to provide for his family and states that being a husband and father is his proudest achievement, as well as building a successful restaurant company. Not only has he been party to opening six restaurants, he also physically helps build the establishments he cooks at, keen to put his touch on every part of the business.

Johnnie says it’s ‘conquering a challenge’ and his fierce competitiveness that has inspired him to participate in Chef Race. Love him or hate him, you’ll definitely want to watch him.

Previous TV Experience

• ‘The Great British Menu 2012’ – BBC
• ‘The Great British Menu 2011’ – BBC
• ‘The Great British Menu 2010’ – BBC
• ‘Perfect’ – Good Food Channel

Rebecca Marshman (19) – Surrey
Rebecca is the young chef that everyone will want in their kitchens. At the tender age of 19, she’s already won a treasure trove of awards including the coveted Apprentice of the Year from the Craft Guild of Chefs. Rebecca’s career began when she did an apprenticeship at the famous Westminster Kingsway College in London. As a Commis chef, she worked in every aspect of the kitchen and honed some priceless skills. Having worked in famous restaurants such as Rules, London’s oldest restaurant, as well as the Hilton Park Lane and Gavlin – a Michelin-starred restaurant – Rebecca is primed to take on the competition. She is determined to succeed in whatever she does and is full of energy, funny stories, and is wise beyond her years. Rebecca’s reason for being part of Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S. – “life should be full of adventures and I want as many as I can get.”

Sophie Michell (30) – London
Sophie got her first kitchen job at the of 15.  At 19 she was nominated for the Craft Guild of Chefs ‘Young Chef of the Year Award’ one of her proudest acheivements, and has since worked at some of London’s most glamarous restaurants, including the Michelin starred Lanesborough.  She has been a private chef to supermodels, movie stars and heads of state and has made several T.V appearances, including judging the U.S Iron Chef series.

In 1995 at the age of 21 he moved to America, initially for just a placement year. Based in the state of New York, Carlo joined the New York Wine & Culinary Center. Prior to that Carlo was Executive Chef at various locations in the area including the Esperanza Mansion and Thendara Inn & Restaurant. While working in New York State, Chef Carlo has cultivated relationships with local growers and producers which he uses to further enhance the New York Wine & Culinary Center’s mission as an educational and experiential gateway to New York State’s incredible wine, food and culinary industries. Chef Carlo’s national and international experience, passion and creativity add a unique flair to using local ingredients.

TEAM U.S.
Robin Bodwin (37) – North Carolina
Hugely competitive both inside and out of the kitchen, Robin is set to make it to New York, and nothing will stop her. From the age of 2, Robin was in the kitchen cooking up a storm with her mother, and her love of cooking has never ceased.

Having finished high school, Robin went straight to the Culinary Institute of America in New York. After two years of hard work she graduated and hit the ground running. She trained for a further two years in fine dining restaurants in Raleigh, North Carolina, before packing up her things and moving to California. While in California she worked as a private chef to a professional hockey player as well as providing food services for companies and families. Robin then set up a catering company with her best friend and business partner Brian Dobbin. Together they produced high-end, boutique style catering for events and private functions; they even featured on TV Series, ‘Top This Party’, something Robin is incredibly proud of.

In February 2011 Robin decided it was time to go back to Raleigh and her family, where she currently has her own catering company and works in a successful restaurant.

Robin is also a keen athlete as well as a certified Crossfit trainer in 2009. She enjoys many sports including skiing, tennis, riding bikes, mountain climbing, horse riding, kayaking, and Yoga. And if any of her fellow competitors cross her, she won’t mince her words, as she states herself she’ll ‘say what I mean and mean what I say.’ Don’t mess with Robin, she will eat you for breakfast!

Previous TV Experience

• Top This Party – 7 part series.

Pippa Calland (46) – Los Angeles
Pippa is the Michelin star of Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S. Throughout her career, which started when she was 14, she has worked in three Michelin-starred kitchens in New York City, Italy and Los Angeles – about which she states “I can truly tell you that each and every one of these experiences was a survival sport.” Pippa trained at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School, the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Italy, and Beringer School for American Chefs in California and has appeared on the Today Show, CNN, Chopped and more. Having worked under many prestigious chefs, she has had training of the highest calibre. Pippacan also live by her wits having had to depend on her cooking skills and the kindness of strangers after leaving an apprenticeship in Italy. Her proudest moment is receiving a glowing review in theNew York Times, and it’s the idea of conquering a new challenge that inspired her to be part of the show.

Stan Frazier (43) – Los Angeles
Stan Frazier, born Charles Stanton Frazier, is the competitions ‘wild card’. Not a professional chef, but a drummer in the rock band Sugar Ray, he has been playing and touring with the band for 24 years. Aside from Sugar Ray, Stan also produces and writes music, and develops media projects. Stan is more than just a musician though, he is also a passionate home cook, and his love of food and all things culinary is as strong as his love of music.

Having been on tour for more than 15 years, Stan has hustled around the whole of the USA and the world, and after getting sick of all the ‘backstage deli-tray hell’ he started pulling meals together for all his friends and band mates on the road. While on tour, it was Stan who would be up at 5:00am going to farmers markets and picking up incredible food, as well as bringing home exotic pantry items in his suitcase. He’d cook up feasts for everyone on the road whether it be by the side of the bus, back stage or in grotty hotels, making him the ‘kitchen b**ch’ on tour. He describes himself as ‘part Keith Moon, a pinch of Jamie Oliver, and a splash of Will Ferrell’.

Stan also part owns a restaurant in Newport Beach, as well as constantly watching food programmes and reading cook books. He describes himself as a ‘sort of misfit’ in the food world, but his passion and his ability to create something from nothing makes him an invaluable addition to Chef Race. He sums it up perfectly when he says ‘I’m not classically trained but have a few decades of street experience’.

Stan currently lives in Newport Beach with his wife Jennifer and 7 year old daughter, Anabelle.

PREVIOUS TV APPEARANCES

• Stan has made several TV appearances with the band, and has featured in feature films Scooby Doo and Fathers Day.

Phoebe Lapine (26) – New York
Phoebe is the girl next door who loves nothing more than feeding friends and family. She started cooking at the age of 7 when she opened ‘Phoebe’s Restaurant’ – a greasy spoon joint at her grandparents house. Since then, her active imagination has remained but the quality of her food has gone up! Born and bred in New York City, where she continues to live and eat, she is now a cookbook author, private chef, and caterer.

Having graduated from Brown University, Phoebe co-founded a food website in 2008 called Big Girls Small Kitchen to inspire fellow twenty-somethings to get into the kitchen and start cooking, with easy to follow recipes that could be cooked in small spaces with limited resources. Her first cookbook ‘In the Small Kitchen’ is based on the website concept and was published by Harper Collins in May 2011. Phoebe is a regular contributor toThe Huffington Post, Serious Eats, The Daily Meal, LearnVest and Shape Magazine. Her recipes and cookbook have also been featured in The New York Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, andGlamour Magazine, something Phoebe is very proud of. Having left the Big Girls Small Kitchen to pursue other culinary adventures, she now chronicles her recipes, writings, and kitchen shenanigans on her blog Feed Me Phoebe.

Phoebe has had no professional training and is proud to be totally self taught. She also describes herself as ‘the hostess with the mostess’, as she loves nothing more than seeing people enjoying her food. She gravitated towards private chef work and catering as she didn’t want to hide behind closed restaurant kitchen doors. Instead, she loves being invited into peoples’ homes to cook for them and their guests. Phoebe believes ‘personality definitely comes into play, and luckily I’m the type of chef that adds a heaping tablespoon of charisma to everything I do’.  But watch out fellow chefs, Phoebe may appear to be as sweet as honey but she is determined to make it to her home, New York, and she will use all her charm to hustle her way there.

Previous TV Appearances

• The Barefoot Contessa
• Interviewed on Fox Extra, Better TV, and Plum TV

Ronaldo Linares (31) – New Jersey
Ronaldo Linares is all about heart and showing “la gente” (people) how his passion for Latin-inspired cuisine promotes love, life, and happiness. His father was born in Cuba and his mother is from Colombia, where Ronaldo was born and raised in his early years. Ronaldo and his family then moved to the States, 20 years ago. He believes his childhood taught him to ‘learn from the ground up and that you have to work hard to achieve your goals in life’.

Once in the States his father’s restaurant Martino’s Cuban Restaurant was born. Ronaldo worked at the restaurant during his teens in order to stay out of trouble and he is still the executive chef and part owner. His culinary skills are a result of formal training, self-teaching, and guidance from his father. His cooking uses the foundation of Latin food and he adds his owns flavors, resulting in a modern-style, healthy Latin cuisine.

Throughout his twenties, Ronaldo took some time out of the restaurant and decided to attend the Marine Corps, focusing on food service and received multiple accolades.  Following that, and in order to develop his culinary skills, he then attended formal training in the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, graduating with high honors. Both experiences, Ronaldo is very proud of.

Ronaldo very recently got married and now lives back in New Jersey with his new wife. He works hard at the family business but still has time to give back to the community. Ronaldo helps out with charities such as the Jersey Battered Women’s Community and stays active through local fund raisers. He believes Chef Race is the perfect opportunity to push himself to the limit and to prove to himself and his peers that ‘he still got it!’ This natural born leader who will ‘always go above and beyond to get the job done’ is tough, strong and determined, but underneath all of this he has huge heart and is willing to give everything he’s got to make it to the finish line!

Previous TV Appearances

• ‘Chopped’ – Food network

Don Peavy Jr (34) – New York
Don Peavy (aka Don PV) is the catering queen. Charming, personable and charismatic, Don will bring a bit of flamboyant flare to Chef Race.   He currently lives in the heart of New York with two of his friends, and is a ‘party chef’ for the largest events and catering firm in the city, as well as cooking for private clients.

Initially Don wanted to follow his dream as a performance artist, and worked in restaurants to make ends meet, however it wasn’t long before his ‘culinary adventure’ took over and he left dreams of Hollywood behind. He has worked in many places from restaurants in San Francisco, to being a sous chef in a raw vegan kitchen, cheffing at Jersey Shore’s most popular steak and seafood restaurant, to his current job. Don is also very proud to have cooked for many famous people including TV Chef Carla Hall, Madonna, Oprah and Obama.

Don is thrilled to be involved in Chef Race as ‘adventure is what I’m all about and if that adventure includes food, even better’.  But Don isn’t all about fun and frivolity! His experience makes him extremely versatile and he is also fiercely competitive, making him a tougher customer than his competitors can imagine. He says ‘I have worked with friends who love me however would consider me an a***hole because of my attention to detail and I tend to micro-manage’ Watch out fellow chefs, Don is here and he’s in to win it.

Don has no previous TV experience

Bianca Rose (34) – Los Angeles
‘Sweet as Pie’ Bianca Rose is the owner of Sweet Dreams, a gourmet dessert delivery and catering company based in L.A.  As a young girl, Bianca Rose loved cooking dinner for her parents.  Using her wild imagination, she pretended that the garden window was a television camera as she joyfully demonstrated her creations using the ingredient, she believes, is most important, love!

Having had a successful career as a creative executive in the entertainment industry, Bianca decided to make changes in her life and a few years ago she pursued her passion for cooking. Leaving her job on the Friday, she started at Le Cordon Bleu on the Monday and has never looked back. Since qualifying she took a leap of faith to make her ‘sweet dreams’ come true and now her passion for culinary art and baking has made her buns hotter than any convection oven.

Having set up her successful business, Bianca is now turning her attention to her other great love, TV! She believes that Chef Race will combine her favourite things, food, film, and faith! Bianca’s drive on Chef Race is to make her husband and parents proud, but more than that, Bianca is also determined to demonstrate her strong belief that food can be used to inspire and encourage people. She truly believes that positivity and good grace will get her far in the competition. Bianca always says ‘try being nice…everything tastes better with a little sugar’ but she is more than just smiles, her kindness is not to be confused with weakness, Bianca is hugely competitive and competent and, most of all, she is in it to win it.

Previous TV Experience

• Cupcake Wars-Seasons 2, 3, 4/ Food Network/ Baking Assistant
• Halloween Wars-Seasons 1, 2/ Food Network/ Baking Assistant

Cody Utzman (34) – New York
Cody Utzman is ‘Mr. Seen it All and Done It All’. Since becoming a cook at 17 years old, he has travelled the globe using his culinary skills to get from place to place. Cody graduated from college after a two year culinary course when his real journey began. Throughout his travels, Cody says that “cooking has been his corner stone of his adventures and given him the chance to experience culture, people and places.” After serving as a private Chef in Boston, Cody returned to New York nearly seven years ago and has gone on to open several restaurants. Surprisingly, moving to New York has been his toughest challenge yet. He says “unlike any other place in the world, rarely forgiving and never patient, New York City will eat a young chef alive.” Extremely proud of his achievements, Cody believes opening his restaurant empire has been the ultimate test of his strength and hopes to use his determination and drive to win the competition.

Twitter: @BBCAMERICA Hashtags: #ChefRace

About BBC AMERICA
BBC AMERICA delivers US audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy®, five Golden Globes® and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable’s most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in more than 79 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition in all markets, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist. Find out more by visiting www.bbcwpressroom.com/bbc-america or follow us on www.twitter.com/bbcamerica.