{"id":32861,"date":"2026-01-04T21:49:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T01:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-ryan-lochte-and-val-chmerkovskiy-battling-for-25000-and-their-kitchen-disasters-are-already-legendary\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T21:49:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T01:49:08","slug":"66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Worst Cooks in America 2026<\/b> premieres tonight on Food Network with 10 celebrity recruits<\/b> stepping up to compete for a $25,000 charity prize<\/b>. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte<\/b> and ballroom dancer Val Chmerkovskiy<\/b> clash in the kitchen alongside reality TV stars, with mentors Jeff Mauro<\/b> and Tiffany Derry<\/b> whipping them into culinary shape.<\/p>\n

\n

\ud83d\udd25 Quick Facts<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Season 30 premiere<\/b> airs tonight, January 4, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on Food Network<\/li>\n
  • 10 celebrity contestants<\/b> compete for $25,000<\/b> for the charity of their choice<\/li>\n
  • Ryan Lochte<\/b>, a 12-time Olympic medalist<\/b>, once burned microwaveable mac ‘n’ cheese<\/li>\n
  • Val Chmerkovskiy<\/b> attempted to boil olive oil, causing an explosion in his kitchen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

    Celebrity Chaos Erupts in Kitchen Boot Camp<\/h2>\n

    Tonight’s premiere episode, titled “Reality Check: Lights, Camera, Boot Camp,” kicks off with 10 reality TV stars ready to master the culinary arts. Ryan Lochte<\/b> and Val Chmerkovskiy<\/b> headline the cast, joined by a lineup of entertainment personalities from across television and music. These celebrities bring spotlight success but serious kitchen struggles to the competition.<\/p>\n

    The recruits traded their usual talents for spatulas and measuring cups. From acting credits to radio stardom, none can claim cooking expertise. Amara La Negra<\/b> balances her music career with zero culinary skills, while Downtown Julie Brown<\/b> famously served salmon covered in ants years ago. Lisa Barlow<\/b> admits heating hot dogs in the microwave constitutes her complete cooking resume.<\/p>\n

    Meet the Mentors and Winning Formula<\/h2>\n

    Chef Jeff Mauro<\/b> and Chef Tiffany Derry<\/b> take the helm as mentors and hosts for Season 30<\/b>. Jeff<\/b>, a Chicago native and co-host of Food Network’s “The Kitchen,” trained at Le Cordon Bleu<\/b> culinary school. Tiffany<\/b>, a Texas restaurateur and founder of Tiffany Derry Concepts<\/b>, brings expertise from her restaurants Roots Chicken Shak<\/b> and Roots Southern Table<\/b>.<\/p>\n

    The mentors guide contestants through escalating culinary challenges. Finalists<\/b> must create three-course restaurant-quality meals judged by food experts. Tonight’s premiere features a baseline challenge where recruits create a Hollywood red-carpet worthy dish, revealing their baseline cooking ability before the real competition begins.<\/p>\n

    Star-Studded Cast Battles Kitchen Disasters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Celebrity<\/td>\nKnown For<\/td>\nKitchen Specialty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Ryan Lochte<\/b><\/td>\nOlympic swimming legend<\/td>\nBurning microwave meals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Val Chmerkovskiy<\/b><\/td>\nDancing with the Stars champion<\/td>\nExplosive olive oil attempts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Lisa Barlow<\/b><\/td>\nReal Housewives of Salt Lake City<\/td>\nHot dog reheating<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Amara La Negra<\/b><\/td>\nLove & Hip Hop: Miami star<\/td>\nNo Iron Chef skills<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    CT Tamburello<\/b><\/td>\nThe Challenge and The Traitors<\/td>\nOrdering takeout by phone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Manila Luzon<\/b><\/td>\nRuPaul’s Drag Race icon<\/td>\nRelying on husband’s cooking<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

    The $25,000 Prize Changes Charity Game<\/h2>\n

    Worst Cooks in America 2026<\/b> differs from previous seasons with a critical update: the final prize dropped from $50,000<\/b> to $25,000<\/b>. The winner’s improved cooking skills and ability to master the culinary boot camp determine who takes home the cash for their chosen charity. Each contestant competes not just for personal glory but to support causes they care about.<\/p>\n

    The finale airs Sunday, February 1, 2026<\/b>, concluding the multi-week journey. Between now and then, viewers watch celebrities stumble through knife skills, plating disasters, and kitchen catastrophes. The journey transforms unlikely recruits into functional home cooks through Jeff<\/b> and Tiffany<\/b>‘s expert mentorship and relentless challenges.<\/p>\n

    Why Tonight’s Premiere Matters for Celebrity Cooking<\/h2>\n

    Season 30 marks another chapter in the Food Network franchise that proves celebrities excel in entertainment, not necessarily in kitchens. Downtown Julie Brown<\/b>, an MTV legend from “Club MTV,” brings dancing expertise but zero culinary grace. Beverley Mitchell<\/b> from “7th Heaven” admits her special power is burning food. Romeo Miller<\/b> nearly burned down his cousin’s house attempting steaks.<\/p>\n

    Tonight’s premiere reveals each recruit’s starting point before the transformation begins. Ryan Lochte<\/b> brings Olympic determination to the kitchen, though his track record suggests swimming medals far exceed cooking credentials. Val Chmerkovskiy<\/b> arrives as a three-time Dancing with the Stars<\/b> champion, yet his only kitchen explosion proves he belongs in this “worst” competition.<\/p>\n

    Will Celebrity Egos Clash with Kitchen Humility?<\/h2>\n

    Reality TV stars converge with established talent for what promises to be entertaining television. Reza Farahan<\/b> from Shahs of Sunset<\/b> admits his partner Adam handles all cooking and sustenance. Manila Luzon<\/b>, the Filipino-American drag legend, confides his husband refuses good cooking, so maybe it’s time he stepped up. These candid admissions set expectations low and entertainment potential high as mentors attempt miracles.<\/p>\n

    Stream episodes the next day on HBO Max<\/b> for those missing tonight’s premiere. Food Network<\/b> airs “Worst Cooks in America: Reality Check” exclusively throughout its run, with the finale revealing who earns bragging rights alongside their $25,000<\/b> victory for the charity of their choice.<\/p>\n

    Sources<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Food Network<\/b> – Official cast and mentor details<\/li>\n
    • Palm Beach Post<\/b> – Season 30 premiere coverage<\/li>\n
    • Daytona Beach News-Journal<\/b> – Florida celebrity contestants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":32860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"schema_org_data":"","_extracted_celebrities":"","_extracted_movies":"","_extracted_places":"","_extracted_videos":"","_last_enrichment_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"\nWorst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Red94\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-05T01:49:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jessica Morrison\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jessica Morrison\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jessica Morrison\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/1392757aee97e2eaf6264cfe538812da\"},\"headline\":\"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-05T01:49:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/\"},\"wordCount\":787,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/78726-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a.jpg-scaled.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Entertainment\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/\",\"name\":\"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/78726-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a.jpg-scaled.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-05T01:49:08+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/78726-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a.jpg-scaled.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/78726-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a.jpg-scaled.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":678,\"caption\":\"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with celebrity chaos, Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battle for $25K charity prize\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Entertainment\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/entertainment\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Red94\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Red94\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png\",\"width\":289,\"height\":90,\"caption\":\"Red94\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/1392757aee97e2eaf6264cfe538812da\",\"name\":\"Jessica Morrison\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg\",\"caption\":\"Jessica Morrison\"},\"description\":\"Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/author\/jessica-morrison\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary","og_description":"…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/","og_site_name":"Red94","article_published_time":"2026-01-05T01:49:08+00:00","author":"Jessica Morrison","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jessica Morrison","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/"},"author":{"name":"Jessica Morrison","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/1392757aee97e2eaf6264cfe538812da"},"headline":"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary","datePublished":"2026-01-05T01:49:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/"},"wordCount":787,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/78726-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a.jpg-scaled.png","articleSection":["Entertainment"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/","name":"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/78726-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a.jpg-scaled.png","datePublished":"2026-01-05T01:49:08+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/78726-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a.jpg-scaled.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/78726-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a.jpg-scaled.png","width":1200,"height":678,"caption":"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with celebrity chaos, Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battle for $25K charity prize"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/66672-worst-cooks-in-america-2026-kicks-off-tonight-with-celebrity-chaos-ryan-lochte-a\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Entertainment","item":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/entertainment\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Worst Cooks in America 2026 kicks off tonight with Ryan Lochte and Val Chmerkovskiy battling for $25,000, and their kitchen disasters are already legendary"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/","name":"Red94","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization","name":"Red94","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png","width":289,"height":90,"caption":"Red94"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/1392757aee97e2eaf6264cfe538812da","name":"Jessica Morrison","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg","caption":"Jessica Morrison"},"description":"Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/author\/jessica-morrison\/"}]}},"views":31,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32861"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32861\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}