Ara, a fine arts undergrad from UP who works as a call center agent, is married with two kids. They predict she’d win as she won consistently in most of the challenges where they all competed. Jude, 30, is from Tigbauan, Iloilo and is a good singer who has won in many amateur contests. They say he’s the one who’s the most improved cook among them and it’s amazing how fast he learned during the course of the show. TJ is from Guimbal, Iloilo and learned how to cook by just watching cooking shows. His forte is cooking all sorts of pasta. The other contestants are: Michael John “MJ” Nicasio – the youngest at 19, he’s from Malaybalay, Bukidnon and Cebu, He’s a good singer and has movie star good looks. Writer Jun Nardo told him: “Mag-artista ka na lang.” Marlene Carlos – She got married at 16 and has two kids aged 16 and 13. She decided to go back to high school when her daughter was 13 and they became schoolmates. She’s now taking up education in college. Dorie de Paz – At 45, she looks so much younger. She has a 20-year old daughter who’s a beauty queen, first runner up in Ms. Gran Turismo and Miss Muntinlupa winner. She showed us her daughter’s picture and she’s really a stunner. She has three other boys aged 17, 13, and 10. Rizza Cruz – She’s 36 but is still single. She’s the last one to audition in SM Pampanga but she bested the 400 other contestants who auditioned before her. Jethro Ypil – He’s from Davao and his lolo is a caterer. He plays the drums, guitar and also sings. Aileen Asilom – Also from Davao, she’s 39, married, and owns a catering business. Sonny Azarcon – He’s from Naga and works as a bodyguard. He just took a chance at the auditions when he presented his specialty: sizzling hot Bicol express. Red Zamora – He’s 31 and from Miagao, Iloilo, he specializes in Asian dishes as he has travelled to other Asian countries. His dream is to be a chef in his own restaurant. Teresa Ting Lledo – She’s been married for barely a year when she got widowed. She was then only 20 and now has a 15 year old son. Four years ago, she met a Japanese, Nagamasa Sato, and they have a 3-year old daughter. “But we’re not married”, she says. Her specialty, as maybe expected , is Japanese cuisine. Janice Jhazz Andaya – She’s an ICU nurse at the Pangasinan Medical Center in Dagupan but she’s been cooking since she was 6 years old. Rudolph Gonzales – A fresh HRM graduate from St. Louis University in Baguio, he took the audition in SM Rosales. His specialty is food plating.
And how will they describe Marvin as their show’s host? “He knows what he’s doing kasi chef din siya and owns restaurants kaya bagay siya sa show. Magaling siya mag-motivate sa amin and he’s very considerate to all of us,” they say
