WHO WILL CLAIM THIS SEASON'S CULINARY CROWN?

SEASON SEVEN OF "MASTERCHEF" PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, ON FOX

NATIONWIDE SEARCH BRINGS 40 OF THE BEST HOME COOKS TO LOS ANGELES TO COMPETE FOR THE "MASTERCHEF" TITLE

Elementary School Teacher, Professional Poker Player, DJ, Nail Technician, Yoga Instructor, Pool Lifeguard, Investigator and Three Firefighters among the 40 Hopefuls

Award-winning chefs Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi welcome 40 new home cooks into the MASTERCHEF kitchen for Season Seven, premiering Wednesday, June 1 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), on FOX. The contestants will not only have to impress Chefs Ramsay and Tosi, but throughout the season, will compete for the approval of culinary greats and special culinary guest judges, including Wolfgang Puck, Aarón Sánchez, Edward Lee, Kevin Sbraga and Richard Blais.

Thousands of hopefuls auditioned at MASTERCHEF's open casting calls in Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Jackson, MS; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; San Diego, CA; and San Francisco, CA. However, only one talented home cook will join MASTERCHEF winners Claudia Sandoval (Season Six), Courtney Lapresi (Season Five); Luca Manfe (Season Four); Christine Ha (Season Three), the first-ever blind contestant; Jennifer Behm (Season Two); and Whitney Miller (Season One) in the elite group of MASTERCHEF titleholders.

Representing 15 states across the country, this season's 40 contestants - including a professional poker player, DJ, web designer, yoga instructor, pool lifeguard, investigator, three firefighters and more - take time away from their busy day jobs in hopes of turning their culinary dreams into reality.

In the season premiere episode, 40 of the best home cooks in America travel to Los Angeles to compete in the MASTERCHEF Battle of the Apron challenge, during which they will attempt the to earn a coveted white apron and move forward to compete for the MASTERCHEF title, a cookbook deal and the $250,000 grand prize. Judging the battle rounds will be Ramsay and Tosi, who will taste for flavor, creativity and presentation. In order to move to the next round of the competition, the home cooks must display culinary skills, as well as an immense passion for food, and be determined to out-cook their rivals.

Once the MASTERCHEF Battle for the Apron concludes, the top home cooks will be put through their paces in a series of challenges designed to test their palates, food knowledge, passion and culinary skills. Later in the season, the hopefuls set out to cook appetizers and entrees for a very special wedding of a previous MASTERCHEF contestant, steak dishes for over 100 veterans and a group of sweet 16-ers. They also will face the infamous MASTERCHEF tag team and restaurant takeover challenges. With each new challenge, the pressure will mount as the home cooks compete for the coveted MASTERCHEF title.

Below are the hometowns, names and professions of the Top 40 Home Cooks who participated in the MASTERCHEF Battle for the Apron:

State/Hometown Name Profession

California Long Beach Gina Ruccione Food Blogger Los Angeles Samson Kohanski Mixologist Pauma Valley Ashley Travers Small Business Owner Pauma Valley Bill Travers Retired San Diego Diamond Alexander Web Designer San Diego Tricia Crivello Insurance Broker

Colorado Denver Barbara Savage Investigator

Florida Miami Alejandro Toro Voice Over Artist Miami Andrea Galan Student Orlando Manny Washington Firefighter

Illinois Chicago Caitlin Meade Nutritionist Chicago Cassie Peterson Bakery Clerk Chicago Corey Rice Computer Tech & Hotel Front Desk Representative Park Forest Takeila Peebles Nail Technician Plainfield Diana Bilow Server

Kentucky Irvington Brandi Mudd 5th Grade Teacher Newport Shelby Reid Pool Lifeguard

Michigan Belleville Zack Wilson Construction Worker Detroit Neco Washington Nail Technician West Bloomfield Brian Schneble Senior Business Manager

Mississippi Hattiesburg Katie Dixon Personal Trainer & Retail Associate

Nevada Las Vegas D'Andre Balaoing Bartender Las Vegas David Williams Poker Player Las Vegas James Woods Truck Driver Las Vegas Shaun O'Neale DJ Las Vegas Shawn Norris Restaurant Manager Las Vegas Will Staten Karate Instructor

New Jersey Gillette Lisa-Ann Marchesi Insurance Manager

New York Brooklyn Joe Russo Firefighter Long Island Terry Mueller Handyman New Hartford Brittany Craig Server Queens Eric Howard Firefighter

North Carolina Charlotte Dan Paustian Server

Pennsylvania Philadelphia Joe Pickens Sales Rep Slippery Rock Nathan Barnhouse Tuxedo Salesman

Tennessee Chattanooga Tanorria Askew Credit Union Coordinator Knoxville Zac Fallon Musician

Texas Austin Taylor Waltmon Digital Marketer Dallas Jessica McPhaul Yoga Instructor

Wisconsin Milwaukee Freddy Coleman Firefighter

MASTERCHEF is produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Endemol Shine. Elisabeth Murdoch, Eden Gaha, Michael Brooks, Robin Ashbrook, Gordon Ramsay, Adeline Ramage Rooney, Patricia Llewellyn and Ben Adler serve as executive producers. "Like" MASTERCHEF on Facebook at facebook.com/MasterChef. Follow the series on Twitter @MASTERCHEFonFOX and join the discussion at #masterchef.

Follow the judges on Twitter: Gordon Ramsay - @gordonramsay; Christina Tosi - @christinatosi; and the guest judges on Twitter: Wolfgang Puck - @WolfgangPuck; Aarón Sánchez - @Chef_Aaron; Edward Lee - @ChefEdwardLee; Kevin Sbraga - @KSbraga; and Richard Blais - @RichardBlais.

About One Potato Two Potato

Renowned for award-winning original programming, One Potato Two Potato produces high-quality TV shows on both sides of the Atlantic, including the smash-hit HOTEL HELL, the blockbuster MASTERCHEF, irresistible spin-off MASTERCHEF JUNIOR and MASTERCHEF CELEBRITY SHOWDOWN, all for FOX; as well as "Best New Restaurant" and competition series "Food Court Wars." In the U.K., OPTP produces "Gordon Ramsay Behind Bars" and "Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape," for Channel 4; food biography and nostalgia series "My Kitchen," for UKTV's Good Food Channel; and "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch," starring Tilly Ramsay for U.K. children's channel CBBC. OPTP has also produced two instructional cookery series featuring Gordon Ramsay, "Ultimate Home Cooking" and "Ultimate Cookery Course," both of which have sold all over the globe.

About Endemol Shine North America

Endemol Shine North America delivers world-class content and compelling storytelling to multiple platforms in the U.S. and across the globe. Endemol Shine North America is part of Endemol Shine Group, the newly launched global content creator, producer and distributor with a diverse portfolio of companies that are behind some of the most prominent hit television formats and series in the world. Endemol Shine Group's companies in North America are behind such hit series as "Big Brother" (CBS), "The Biggest Loser" (NBC), "Hell on Wheels" (AMC), "Ink Master" (Spike), "Kingdom" (DirecTV), MASTERCHEF (FOX), MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (FOX), "Restaurant Startup" (CNBC), "Swamp People" (History), "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" (Bravo), "Steve Harvey" (NBCU), "T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle" (VH1), "Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge" (CMT) and "Billion Dollar Buyer" (CNBC), as well as the upcoming "Hunted" (CBS), SUPERHUMAN (FOX), The Almost Impossible Game Show" (MTV) and "I'm Dying Up Here" (Showtime).