TRAVEL CHANNEL SELECTS THE TOP 15 CONTESTANTS FOR "TRAVEL CHANNEL STAR" COMPETITION

CHEVY CHASE, MD (May 13, 2015) - Who will be the next Travel Channel Star? After reviewing over 1,000 entries from travel enthusiasts across the country, Travel Channel has narrowed the search to the top 15 contestants. Each with their own take on travel, these wanna-be hosts bring many areas of expertise and perspective on how they would explore the world. The professions they are willing to leave behind include part-time poll worker, personal trainer and high school science teacher.

In the 15 five-minute webisodes, three judges and host Bert Kreischer, professional fun-seeker and host of "Trip Flip," provide colorful commentary and feedback about each audition.

Did the judges get it right? Fans can vote for their favorite contender on TravelChannel.com's "Travel Channel Star" page and on Twitter using #travelchannelstar until Friday, May 15. The top five will be revealed on Travel Channel's website on Monday, May 25 with additional commentary from Kreischer and the judges.

The winner of 2015's "Travel Channel Star" will host their own five-part series on TravelChannel.com and will be named in a one-hour special, hosted by Kreischer, on Travel Channel later this year.

The top 15 contestants competing for the "Travel Channel Star" title (in alphabetical order by first name):

Blake Jeffers - Savannah, Ga. Travel Specialty: Earthy Travel Current Occupation: High school science teacher

Chris Wagner - Lansing, Kan. Travel Specialty: Fitness Current Occupation: Personal trainer

Christie Rojo - Santa Barbara, Calif. Travel Specialty: Spirituality Current Occupation: Church Youth Ministry

Gaby Barrag�n - Santa Monica, Calif. Travel Specialty: Dance Current Occupation: Barback

Janel Koloski - Greensburg, Penn. Travel Specialty: Fearless Traveler Current Occupation: Nanny and personal assistant

Jimmy Taylor - Montmorency, Australia Travel Specialty: Adventure Current Occupation: Actor and personal trainer

Juliana Jurenas - Annandale, Va. Travel Specialty: Off the Beaten Path Current Occupation: Actress, receptionist and waitress

Martice Sutton - Philadelphia, Penn. Travel Specialty: Budget Travel Current Occupation: Founder, Girls Going Global

Nick Leighton - San Francisco, Calif. Travel Specialty: Embalmed Bodies of Communist Dictators Current Occupation: Business consultant, realtor and freelance journalist

Ricky Moreno - Las Vegas, Nev. Travel Specialty: Fish Out of Water Current Occupation: Tour manager

Saundra Dunson-Franks - Atlanta, Ga. Travel Specialty: Baby Boomers' Bucket List Current Occupation: Part-time poll worker

Tara Malone - Hatboro, Penn. Travel Specialty: Solo Travel Current Occupation: Account Executive

Tarique Connelly - Philadelphia, Penn. Travel Specialty: Outside the Box Current Occupation: Direct sales representative

Tony Nagatani - Honolulu, Hawaii Travel Specialty: Fusion Current Occupation: Video editor

Veronica Jacob - Newberry, S.C. Travel Specialty: Cultural Immersion Current Occupation: Law school graduate

TRAVEL CHANNEL is a multiplatform travel lifestyle brand with the core mission of providing inspiring and compelling programming that takes viewers beyond their everyday destinations, making the unfamiliar familiar, whether it's around the world or around the block. A dual feed network that is also available in HD, Travel Channel is the world's leading travel media brand, and is available in over 94 million U.S. cable homes. Owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), Travel Channel has offices in Chevy Chase, Md., and New York, N.Y. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.