The Next Food Network Star Season 15: Info We Know So Far

When the Food Network first launched in 1993, foodie culture was not yet a thing — in fact, the word "foodie" had only recently been coined (via The New Republic), and the network founders weren't even particularly interested in food, says GrubStreet. But what those founders did know, however, was that chefs were not (yet) in a position to command high appearance fees, and they also tended to be more than eager to step out of their own kitchens and onto a sound stage. 

Initially, the network's personalities were as close to "stars" as chefs could be at the time, with the original lineup including Jacques Pépin, Emeril Lagasse, Debbi Fields (of Mrs. Fields Cookies), and Robin Leach, all of whom were (at the very least) well-known-ish. By 2005, however, the "little basic cable network that could" had become such a cultural force that it found itself in the position of being able to turn regular chefs into genuine stars. And so "The Next Food Network Star" was born with that very mission in mind.

From its very first season, the show, renamed just "Food Network Star" in 2011 (via IMDb), has been delivering on its promise, providing a platform for emerging culinary talents to demonstrate their skills and charisma. By Season 14, which aired in 2018, everything about the show was star-studded — including its hosts, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay. But since then we haven't heard much about a possible Season 15 — here's what we know so far. 

When "The Next Food Network Star" debuted on June 5, 2005 (via IMDb), it was anyone's guess how it might be received by the public. As it turned out, it was a force to be reckoned with — leading to another season being ordered and shot almost immediately. Season 2 aired on March 19, 2006, and by the season finale on April 23 of that year, Food Network's biggest star yet, Guy Fieri, was crowned triumphant. 

It took another year for Season 3 to debut, but it did so on June 3, 2007, and every year thereafter, the late spring/early summer season has brought with it a new crop of culinary talents, from which a hopeful Food Network "star" might emerge ... well, that is, until 2019.

There was an unprecedented finale to Season 14 (originally airing July 29, 2018) in which two winners emerged, one of whom was Christian Petroni, later hand-picked by Fieri to appear in his pandemic-documentary, "Restaurant Hustle: All On The Line" along with Antonia Lofaso, Marcus Samuelsson, and Maneet Chauhan. And ever since, fans of "Food Network Star" have been eagerly waiting for news on the release date for Season 15 — but so far there has been no update as to when it might debut.

In fact, the radio silence has led some to speculate (as seen on Reddit) if the show has, after 14 seasons, run its course — but without a formal announcement from the Food Network, it's impossible to say whether that is true or perhaps if there are just production delays (as has been the case with many shows during the pandemic). 

Over the years, some have questioned whether the show "Food Network Star" is actually capable of producing, well, a Food Network star. Certainly, it can't be denied that Guy Fieri's meteoric rise to foodie television fame coincided with his having been chosen as the winner of Season 2 in 2006. Nor can it be ignored that both Jeff Mauro and Christian Petroni saw their stars rise after being crowned winners (or, in Petroni's case, co-winner).

Although, not every winner of "Food Network Star" has ended up with their own Food Network show, it's clear that winning a season of the competition can be a literal golden ticket to at least some level of stardom. Most winners have, after all, gone on to helm their own cooking shows — if not on Food Network, then elsewhere. 

So, if and when Season 15 is announced, we're speculating the contestants may be even more impressive than in the past — a tall order when you consider that four out of 14 winners have gone on to become household names, with one of them being the respected Mayor of Flavortown and another being Melissa d'Arabian.

Although "The Next Food Network Star" had somewhat modest beginnings, by Season 2, Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, and Alton Brown were on hand as guests, as were Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay, who eventually would be called upon as regular hosts of the show (via Food Network). 

By Season 3, the very first episode featured the contestants decorating wedding cakes alongside Ace of Cakes' Duff Goldman (via IMDb). And we've seen Alex Guarnaschelli, Robert Irvine, Tyler Florence, and Michael Symon numerous times, as well as one-off appearances from celebrities like Todd English, Hayley Duff, Valerie Bertinelli, and Eva Longoria (via Food Network).

So, when and if there is a next season of "Food Network Star," we can only speculate that the celebrity stakes will continue to rise. Paradoxically, this may be one reason that the show may not end up returning, according to those speculating that a cancellation announcement will be imminent — the bigger the star, the higher the appearance fee, presumably. And there has been talk, at least among Reddit's fans of the show, that "Food Network Star" has simply become too costly to continue producing (via Reddit).

As much as fans of "Food Network Star" may hate to admit it, without an announcement from Food Network regarding a Season 15, there is a real possibility that we may have seen the last of this foodie star-making vehicle. Evidence of a possible cancellation includes the fact that, after Season 14, there has never been any mention by Food Network of a next season — no teasers, no previews, nothing. 

Over on Reddit, one fan noted that TV Time, which tracks new episodes of shows, has listed "Food Network Star" as canceled. Not that that constitutes any sort of official announcement, but it's an interesting development.

In addition, Food Network Gossip, a blog devoted to, what else but Food Network gossip, concurred in May 2019 with TV Time's view. Further, and this may be the most disconcerting bit of evidence of all, there has been no casting call we can see for "Food Network Star" Season 15, and neither De Laurentiis nor Flay have posted about the filming of the show, and both have routinely done so in the past. 

And so the fate of "Food Network Star" remains up in the air. Stay tuned!