“I won it for Louisiana”- The Great American Recipe star Coby gets emotional after bagging the win

The Great American Recipe Season 4 finale was released on August 15, 2025. It saw Coby Bailey winning the title under judges Tim Hollinger, Tiffany Derry, and Francis Lam. After he was announced the winner, Coby got emotional. 

"I don't even believe it. I'm super proud. I'm glad I did it for my family. I won it for Louisiana. I'm glad I won it for the Cajuns," he said. 

He added that when he got back, he wanted to celebrate it with all his people, and not just his family, but all of the Cajuns. Throughout the episode, Coby shared how Louisiana and the Cajun people shaped his cooking. He was proud to represent his state and its people and dedicated his win to them alongside his family and his firefighter brothers. 

What did The Great American Recipe winner Coby say? 

When the host of the season, Alejandra, asked Coby how he was feeling after the win, he said he was "all over the place". Rex, the fellow finalist, stated that he was glad Coby won because he knew what he had been through. 

"He's got a big heart, he loves his community, he is passionate in his cooking, and he deserves to win this competition," he said. 

Coby said to The Great American Recipe cameras that his experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He felt this way because he believed that he was put on this Earth to be a firefighter, and now that he had won the show, he felt like he could leave his mark as a Cajun cook. 

At the start of the finale episode, Coby came to the Great American Recipe confessional to say that to win the show would be a dream come true. He said he thought he was a great advocate for the people of Louisiana and the Cajuns, so he wanted to show everybody how special these people were and how proud they were of their food. 

Then, for the first round of dishes in the finale episode, when each of the contestants was given a box with a letter and a hometown recipe from their family members, Coby received his from his wife. When he opened the box, he got emotional and told the judges that his wife, Toni, had sent him his recipe. 

He shared that Toni was his rock, and it was really good to hear from her and to see that "beautiful" note. He added that he loved her. The recipe Toni sent him was a Shrimp Po Boy, and he was expected to put his spin on it. 

He explained to the judges that if they passed between Louisiana's Lafayette and Baton Rouge, they would see a lot of Cypress trees. So he was going to incorporate those into his dish and call it a Cypress Knee Po Boy. He said that his Po Boy would stand tall like a Cypress knee, with shrimp filling in the middle. 

Coby then shared that in The Great American Recipe, he didn't only want to do well for his family and his firefighter brothers, but also the Cajun culture. He believed that the competition was tough and anybody could win. He won the first round of the finale and was recognized for the way he brought the flavours together. 

He said he was very proud, but was cautious because the second round was crucial and knew that a small mistake could cost him the win. For the second round, his wife, Toni, was invited to help him out. While Toni was special to him, he joked that they weren't "super compatible" in the kitchen. 

Then, while he and Toni began cooking the Cornbread Stuffed Chicken with Andouille Sauce and a side of Coleslaw and Millie's Potatoes, he shared that being on the show had brought him closer to his family, his state, and its people. 

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