When does Next Level Baker air? Release date, what to expect and more explored

Next Level Chef is returning, and this time with a festive flair. Chef Gordon Ramsay, along with celebrity chef Candace Nelson and Carla Hall, are ringing in the holiday season with Next Level Chef’s spin-off titled Next Level Baker. 

The show will be a three-week holiday event series and will premiere on Thursday, December 4, 2025, on Fox and Fox One. The show will be telecast again on Hulu the next day. 

Next Level Baker is produced by Studio Ramsay in collaboration with Studio Ramsay Global and BiggerStage. Matt Cahoon is the executive producer for the spin-off.

Next Level Chef: Format, mentors and what to expect 

The holiday event was announced in February 2025 and is a spin-off of the reality cooking show Next Level Chef. In the competition, bakers would be judged on three levels. 

These levels, which would be transformed into a winter wonderland, would give participants a chance to win a $25,000 cash prize and a HexClad prize package.

The contestants are divided into different teams. These teams would then be paired with a mentor. These teams will then have an opportunity to bake at different levels of each kitchen. When the challenges are set during the competition, bakers must rush and fight to grab the ingredients from a moving platform.

Contestants would have to create a culinary masterpiece from these ingredients, which would help them earn the top spot in the kitchen.

Carla Hall and Candace Nelson will serve as mentors, alongside Chef Gordon Ramsay, in the show. Hall is a renowned chef who is popularly known for co-hosting The Chew for seven years. She has judged various reality shows like BakeAway Camp, Holiday Baking Championship and Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking. 

She was a judge and a coach on Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America. Hall has also hosted the Emmy-nominated travel and food series named Chasing Flavor. 

Nelson has made a mark with her venture Sprinkles, which is the world’s first cupcake bakery and ATM. She served as a judge on Cupcake Wars on Food Network for 10 seasons. She was also a judge on Netflix’s show Sugar Rush, where she also served as an executive producer.

Candace also launched Pizzana, which is a Neo-Neapolitan pizzeria franchise. 

Candace and Carla will guide the contestants on Next Level Baker, where, as reported by Deadline, “Bakers are challenged to create eye-popping festive holiday delights.”

According to Fox Network, Chef Ramsay auditioned top-notch bakers from diverse backgrounds and skill levels. These included social media stars, professional bakers, and even home bakers competing on the show. Gordon Ramsay expressed his excitement about the show and even recalled his first job, stating, as reported by Variety:

“My very first job was baking in Paris and to me there is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread. I’m hoping on these holiday specials we get to discover incredible family recipes handed down through generations of bakers.”

He added that he can’t wait to see the baking talent in America.

The president of Fox Television Network, Michael Thorn, praised the network’s partnership with Gordon Ramsay, marking Next Level Chef as their flagship food competition series. He said,

“Extending the reach of this series with the new holiday competition ‘Next Level Baker’ once again exemplifies the strength of our incredible, long-standing partnership with Gordon which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.”

Stay tuned for more such updates.