Great Chocolate Showdown
Great Chocolate Showdown is a Canadian cooking competition television series that airs on Food Network themed around chocolate baking and confections. The show is carried in the United States by The CW Network.
The first season of the series officially premiered on February 4, 2020, with judges Steven Hodge, Anna Olson, and Cynthia Stroud. Episode 1, "The World Needs S'more People Like You", received a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award in the category of "Editing in a reality or competition program or series". The second season premiered on February 22, 2021, while the third season debuted on March 1, 2022, retaining the same cast of judges. In May 2022, the CW renewed the series for a fourth season, which premiered on August 5, 2023.
The show features product placement from Purdy's Chocolates, which is the "official chocolate sponsor" of the show. Some challenges are presented by a representative of the company.
Format
Each season begin with 10 amateur home bakers. After each episode, a contestant is eliminated, until a finale episode to determine the season winner. Episodes typically consist of two challenges: an initial "Technique Test" and a "Chocolate Elimination Challenge". Winners of the skills challenge receive either immunity from elimination, or an advantage in the elimination round. Season winners receive a grand prize of $50,000.Season 1
Contestants
Source:- Fadi Odeh – Austin, Texas
- Casey Hallen – Rye, New York
- Craig Taylor – Vancouver, British Columbia
- Andrew Keen – Falls Church, Virginia
- Renu Mathew – Olds, Alberta
- T. Lawrence-Simon – Somerville, Massachusetts
- Venessa Liang – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Katie Rochin – Montreal, Quebec
- Trinity Andrew – Los Angeles, California
- Kathy Choffe — Aurora, Ontario
Elimination Table
†The baker that won in the first round.Season 2
Contestants
Source:- Sheldon Taylor-Timothy, 30 – Rehabilitation Assistant and Bouncer, Toronto, Ontario
- Richard Martemucci, 56 – Retiree, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Tam Truong, 42 – Real Estate Appraiser
- Latice Williams, 37 – Dental Office Manager, McKinney, Texas
- Jujhar Mann, 21 – Student, Surrey, British Columbia
- Raphael Nishida, 32 – Commercial Operations Manager
- Saudat Atta, 25 – IT Manager, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Abbey White, 34 – Retail Operations Specialist
- Atikah Mohamed, 35 – Campus Administrator, Toronto, Ontario
- Ginny Lepp, 59 – Civil Servant, Toronto, Ontario
Season 3
Contestants
Source:- Amber Horn, 43, Bartender, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Bri Brown, 33, Office Manager, Detroit, Michigan
- Connie Kazan, 42, Stay-at-home Mom, Dearborn, Michigan
- Evan Morgan-Newpher, 31, Zoo Guest Services Manager, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Gavan Knox, 44, Stay-at-home Dad, Scarborough, Ontario
- Ian Frias, 28, Finance Manager, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Lexi Christiansen, 24, Model, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Maile Crewdson, 35, Stay-at-home Mom, Maui, Hawaii
- Shyam Rethinavelu, 34, Fashion Stylist, San Francisco, California
- Vince Driver, 31, Freelance Artist, Atlanta, Georgia
Season 4
Contestants
- Timothy Eford, 35, Police Detective, Atlanta, Georgia
- Mike Casner, 38, Emergency Physician, Chicago, Illinois
- Charli Coakley, 43, Music Teacher, Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Ashlee Pridgen, 33, Medical Assistant, Baltimore, Maryland
- Jayln "Raplheal" Williams, 27, Retired U.S. Army Soldier, Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Meredith Bridges, 35, Stay-at-home Mom, Temple, Texas
- Donna Kim, 50, Props Builder, Langley, British Columbia
- Emma Lee Young, 23, Health Records Clerk, Coquitlam, British Columbia
- Ally Hrbachek, 30, Stay-at-home Mom, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Kristen Washington, 23, Food Delivery Driver, Jackson, Mississippi
International broadcasts
In January 2021, The CW picked up the series for broadcast in the United States. It premiered on the channel on January 29, 2022. The third season premiered on August 11, 2022. The fourth season premiered on August 5, 2023.In Australia, it premiered on the Lifestyle Food channel on November 11, 2021. In Hong Kong the programme is aired on ViuTV6.