I love cooking competition shows and one of my favorites is Food Network Star. Bobby Flay and GiadaDeLaurentiis guide contestants interested in their own show on Food Network through a series of grueling cooking challenges designed to test their cooking chops, food knowledge and on-screen personality.
The challenges separate the good from the not so good until the top 3 get to make actual pilot shows for the network. The winning contestant then receives their own show, becomes a member of the Food Network family and frequently appears as a judge on other shows.