Next Great Baker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Next Great Baker |
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| Presented by | Buddy Valastro |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 41 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | TLC |
| Original release | December 6, 2010 – August 19, 2014 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Cake Boss Kitchen Boss Ultimate Cake Off |
Next Great Baker (also known as Cake Boss: Next Great Baker) is an exciting American TV show. It aired on TLC and was hosted by Buddy Valastro. Buddy is famous from his own reality show, Cake Boss.
On Next Great Baker, talented bakers compete in challenges. They show off their amazing skills in baking and decorating cakes. Each week, one contestant is sent home. The last person left wins a big prize! The prizes changed each season. Sometimes, there were also smaller prizes for winning a challenge during the week.
Contents
How the Game Works
Each episode of Next Great Baker had three main parts. These parts tested the bakers' skills in different ways.
Baker's Challenge
First, contestants faced the Baker's Challenge. Buddy "the Cake Boss" Valastro would give them a special task. This might be making a pastry or baking a unique cake. In one challenge, they even had to fill buckets of grease! The winner of this challenge got a special bonus. This bonus was always a surprise until after the challenge.
Elimination Challenge
Next came the Elimination Challenge. Here, each baker had a set amount of time to create a cake. They usually had three hours on the first day. Then, they finished their cakes on the second day. Buddy gave them specific rules for what the cake should look like.
Final Elimination
Finally, it was time for the Final Elimination. Buddy and the other judges looked at all the cakes. They decided which three cakes were the best. They also picked the two cakes that were the worst. The contestants waited in a lounge. Then, they came into the judging room. Contestants whose cakes were "safe" were told they could leave. After that, the three best bakers were announced. The person with the very best cake was singled out. The remaining contestants had the worst cakes. One of them was told to leave the competition. Danny, Buddy's friend, would drive them away in a truck. The truck said "Not the Next Great Baker" on it.
Seasons of the Show
Next Great Baker had four exciting seasons. Each season featured new contestants and different prizes.
Season 1: The First Winner
The first season of Next Great Baker was filmed in Jersey City, New Jersey. It aired from December 2010 to January 2011. Ten contestants competed. The winner was Dana Herbert. He won $50,000 cash and a new Chevrolet Cruze car. He also got to work at Carlo's Bake Shop with Buddy! Dana already had his own bakery before the show.
Season 2: A Big Prize
Season two was filmed at a new Carlo's Bakery place in Jersey City. It aired from November 2011 to January 2012. This season had 13 contestants. Marissa Lopez won! She received $100,000 cash. She also got a four-page article in Brides magazine. Plus, she got to work closely with Buddy at the bakery. As of 2020, Marissa manages a Carlo's Bakery location in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Season 3: Sugar Monster is Born
Season three started in November 2012. Again, 13 contestants battled it out. The grand prize was $100,000 and a feature in Redbook magazine. The winner also got to work with Buddy. Ashley Holt won this season. She later started her own bakery called Sugar Monster. Ashley worked at Buddy's bakery for a while. She even appeared on Cake Boss in Season 5. She announced she was leaving the bakery in Season 6.
Season 4: Teamwork Baking
Season four premiered in June 2014. This season was different because contestants competed in pairs! Ten pairs tried to win the grand prize. The prize was $100,000 and a chance to work for Buddy. This job was at the new Carlo's Bakery in Las Vegas's The Venetian. Famous chocolatier Jacques Torres and Bobbie Lloyd from Magnolia Bakery were permanent judges. They judged alongside Buddy. Co-workers Al Watson and Lia Weber won this season.
Other Versions of the Show
The idea of Next Great Baker became popular around the world. Other countries made their own versions of the show. For example, there was Arab Baker in the Arab World. Brazil had Batalha dos Confeiteiros (Battle of the Bakers). Latin America also had El desafío de Buddy: Latinoamérica (Buddy's Challenge: Latin America). Each version featured local bakers competing for their own prizes.
