A BAKER'S DOZEN COMPETE TO BE TLC'S NEXT GREAT BAKER

13 Contestants vying for $100,000 prize and chance to work at Carlo's Bakery

Buddy "Cake Boss" Valastro is looking for the NEXT GREAT BAKER and 13 aspiring cake artists are entering the kitchen to see if can bake their way to the top. At stake: the sweet prize of $100,000, a four-page feature in Brides Magazine, and a chance to work side-by-side with Buddy and his team at Carlo's Bakery.

The 10-episode season kicks off with a special 90-minute premiere on Monday, November 28 at 9pm ET/PT. The season one finale - which crowned Dana Hebert the winner - averaged 2.34 million viewers, up +67% from its series debut.

"This season is bigger and better - we've doubled the prize, the challenges are tougher, and there's a seasoned 'bakers dozen' fighting it out to prove to me they have what it takes to hang with the Carlo's crew," said Buddy Valastro.

This season's contestants include:

Ryan Cimorelli, Providence, RI 30 years old; Owner, The Bakery Boutique in Smithfield, RI. Meet Ryan: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-ryan.html

Wesley Durden, Fayetteville NC 29 years old; Active serviceman with 82nd Airborn Division, based at Fort Bragg. Meet Wesley: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-wesley.html

Chad Fitzgerald, Duncanville, TX 44 years old; Owner of THE CAKE GUYS in Dallas and Duncanville, TX; also a High School Math Teacher. Meet Chad: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-chad.html

Jasmine Frank, Los Angeles, CA 20 years old; Pastry Chef at Jazzy Cakes Meet Jasmine: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-jasmine.html

Tony Frys, Forth Worth, TX 23 years old; a co-owner of "The Sugar Art" Meet Tony: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-tony.html

Heather Grubb, Knoxville, TN 31 years old; owner of Cake of Knoxville. Meet Heather: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-heather-g.html

Megan Hart, Pittsburgh PA 38 years old; works as a paramedic for the city of Pittsburgh. Meet Megan: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-megan.html

Marissa Lopez, Pompton Lakes NJ 24 years old; Cake decorator at the Brownstone in Patterson NJ and small business owner. Meet Marissa: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-marissa.html

Heather Macia, Las Vegas, NV 32 years old; a culinary school graduate, she currently works as an exotic dancer. Meet Heather: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-heather-m.html

Carmello Oquendo, Worcester, MA 43 years old; a retired Gang Unit Police Officer and now the "Cakefather of Worcester." Meet Carmello: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-carmello.html

Nadine Reibeling, New York, NY 28 years old; owner of Lolly Love, LLC, and also works in catering sales for a hotel. Meet Nadine: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-nadine.html

Minerva Vasquez, Miami, FL 46 years old; a personal chef and cake artist Meet Minerva: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-minerva.html

Sara Williams, Cedartown, GA 39 years old; owner of a bakery, Crickette's Cakes Meet Sara: http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/next-great-baker-season-2-contestants-sara.html

The series fan site can be found at http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/next-great-baker.

NEXT GREAT BAKER is produced for TLC by High Noon Entertainment.

About TLC

TLC is a global brand that celebrates extraordinary people and relatable life moments through innovative nonfiction programming. A top 10 cable network for women, TLC has built successful franchises around the Cake Boss, Say Yes to the Dress and Police Women brands. In the first half of 2011, TLC had 23 series averaging 1.0 million viewers or more including Extreme Couponing, Sister Wives, 19 Kids and Counting, What Not To Wear, and Kate Plus 8.

TLC is available in more than 99 million homes in the US and 75 million households in 34 countries internationally. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites, exclusive video content, and original editorial covering style, home, food, and more. Fans can also interact with TLC via On Demand services, on mobile platforms, including an iPhone App, and through social media such as Facebook or @TLC on Twitter. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 210 countries and territories.