Connie "Lovely" Jackson

Twelve hopefuls come to LA to compete for their own Food Network show. Their celebrity mentors help them prepare to audition, and each finalist makes a tape and a dish to present to Bob Tuschman, Susie Fogelson and a focus group.

The finalists must be adventurous onscreen and in the kitchen. Each must use an unusual ingredient in a dish to auction off. The better the presentations, the higher the bids; the chef whose dish fetches the highest price is safe.

Food Network Star throws an over-the-top Burger Bash. The finalists must create the best burger of their lives and present it to 100 enthusiasts. Afterward, the fans decide whose burger they want to try, based on the live-demo presentations. After a vote on which burger is best, the least successful finalist is sent home.

The movie theater experience is being transformed with luxury cinemas popping up all over. This week, paired into teams of three, the finalists must create a menu and a movie trailer for a focus group of movie fans.

A Food Network Star must take any combination of ingredients to new culinary heights. Each finalist identifies an exotic ingredient; the top two join Alex Guarnaschelli as judges as the rest battle it out Chopped style.