Next Level Baker Season 1: The complete list of contestants

Next Level Baker is an all-new, three-week special event series that premiered on Thursday, December 4, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. Culinary genius Gordon Ramsay is the host of the three-week holiday baking competition. 

These talented makers will be competing using a three-tiered kitchen set. The lucky winner will receive a cash prize of $25,000, along with a HexClad prize package. 

The show's mentors included Top Chef alum Carla Hall, Sprinkles Cupcakes founder Candace Nelson, and Gordon Ramsay. As the trailer shows, Candace was quick to announce, 

“This is why bakers are just better than chefs.”

Next Level Baker: The complete list of contestants

Here is the list of contestants, divided into three categories: professional, social media and home bakers. 

Professional Bakers

• Maricsa Trejo (Professional Baker from Mesquitem, TX)
• Winston Murdock ( Professional Baker from Orlando, FL)
• Chad Visger (Professional Baker from Delavan, WI)
• Aubrey Smith Shaffner ( Professional Baker from Baltimore, MD)

Social Media Bakers

• Nikita “Nikki” Jackson ( Social Media Baker from Rowlett, TX)
• Chloe Sexton (Social Media Baker from Germantown, TN) 
• Justin Ellen ( Social Media Baker from Passaic, NJ) 
• Zoha Malik ( Social Media Baker from Newark, CA)

Home Bakers

• Stefanie Embree ( Home Baker from Oklahoma City, OK)
• Deirdra Lambright ( Home Baker from Atlanta, GA) 
• Michael Mararian ( Home Baker from Buffalo, NY) 
• Jeff Chudakoff ( Home Baker from West Hollywood, CA)

As Chad, Stefanie, and Zoha emerged victorious after winning the chocolate challenge in their group, they were given access to the top-level kitchen for the next challenge. On the other hand, Nikki, Deirdra and Chloe made their way into the middle-level kitchen. However, Maricsa, Aubrey and Jeff were put in the basement, but at least they were not eliminated.

As the second elimination challenge was a booze based bake, which required the bakers to include alcohol as part of their dessert. Stefanie, Aubrey and Chloe were announced as the winners and will be baking in the top-level kitchen next week.

Zoha, Deirdra and Jeff moved to the middle kitchen, leaving Maricsa, Chad and Nikki at the bottom. As it turned out, Maricsa was eliminated, so Chad and Nikki will bake in the basement kitchen next week.

Next Level Baker: What to expect? 

According to the game's format, these talented bakers will be assigned tasks to create delicious holiday treats. The format of the series will take place over the three-level kitchen as created for Next Level Chef. As per Parade, it has been “transformed into a winter wonderland to capture the holiday spirit for the bakeoff.”

As there will be bakers in the basement level, “where the equipment leaves a lot to be desired and then comes the middle level, which is an average kitchen and then the top level, which is state-of-the-art.”

As the first episode has already premiered, Gordon Ramsay soon made a shocking announcement: for the “Baking Spirits Bright” episode, not just one person will be eliminated at the end of the first bake, but one person from each group.

Stay tuned for more updates.