Do you enjoy creating and preparing fun appetizers, delicious entrees, and yummy desserts with the kiddos? Well if you do, then you and the family can get excited about a new competition-style show that features young talent in the kitchen. Star Kids, is a new series on the Food Network that is sure to be a hit. It is premiering on Monday, August 22 at 7 p.m. CDT.
Donal Skehan
Hosted by actress-turned-food celebrity Tia Mowry and popular food writer, photographer, and social media star Donal Skehan. The Star Kids series features ten talented junior finalists participating in a variety of culinary, on-camera and social media challenges over six episodes, for the chance to become the first-ever Food Network Star Kids winner, walking away with their series on FoodNetwork.com and a feature in Food Network Magazine.
The Food Network Star Kids competitors are Gracie Evans (Tampa, FL; age 9), Isaiah A. Hooks (Stroudsburg, PA; age 13), Nicholas Hognose (Vail, CO; age 11), Tyra Jefferson (Irmo, SC; age11), Amber Kelley (Seattle, WA; age 13), Sydnie Jaye Meyers (Austin, TX; age 9), Lexi Shuster (Portchester, NY; age 9), Salvatore Soldo (Staten Island, NY; age 10), Sammy Voit (Bronx, NY; age 11), and Liam Waldman (Los Angeles, CA; age 12).
Skehan has had many years of experience in the kitchen inspired by a family of passionate food lovers who have worked in the food industry for over 60 years, cooking and eating hearty home cooked food has always been a way of life. “I’m excited about this competition. The biggest thing is giving the kids advice and watching them develop over time,” says Skehan. “They all express a passion for cooking. I hope they never lose it.” Skehan enjoys mentoring children. Sharing his knowledge with others whether through his blog, or on YouTube is important to him.
He takes his role very seriously. “My role is to help people, especially children, to find that connection with cooking. It’s an important skill,” says Skehan. He enjoys talking about food and writing about it. So much so that he is the author of seven published cookbooks that features dishes of every sort and culture from around the world. Next year, he will debut his first ever cookbook which will feature all-American recipes called Fresh.
Throughout the season of Star Kids, special celebrity guests will join Mowry and Skehan. Notables such as YouTube stars Gabriel Conte and Elise Strachan, comedienne Loni Love, and breakout star of The Jungle Book, Neel Sethi, to test the junior finalists’ creativity in the kitchen and their communication skills in front of the camera.
Whether it is whipping up a brunch dish that is created and served in an actual orange or sharing a Sunday supper in Hollywood VIPS, the kids leave it all in the kitchen. And on-camera, for a chance to compete in the finale and walk away as the first Food Network Star Kids champion, and a series on FoodNetwork.com!
