Next Great Baker season 1
The first season of Next Great Baker was televised from December 6, 2010, to January 24, 2011, on TLC. During this season, the last contestant standing would win $50,000 cash, a Chevrolet Cruze and an apprenticeship at Buddy's bakery, Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Show opening
Each episode opens with the contestants engaged in a foodfight, with each contestant introduced. Near the end, Buddy enters the kitchen from his office, saying "This is gonna get ugly!", only to be clobbered in the face by a piece of cake.Portions of the opening were also used in promos for the series; the early promos leading up to its premiere also included The Archies' Sugar, Sugar in the background.
Contestants
Ten chefs competed in the competition.| Contestant | Age | Occupation | Hometown |
| Brian Stevens | 37 | Owner of Crazy Cakes Inc.; Senior Artist for Sony Online Entertainment | Austin, Texas |
| Corina Elgart | 32 | Owner of, a specialty cake shop in Syosset, New York | Huntington, New York |
| Dana Herbert | 34 | Owner and Pastry Chef of Desserts By Dana; Head Chef of the Delaware River and Bay Authority | Bear, Delaware |
| Greggy Soriano | 26 | Wedding Cake Designer | Jersey City, New Jersey |
| Jay Qualls | 42 | President and Cake Designer of Maples Wedding Cakes | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Joseph "Joe" Glaser | 47 | Pastry Chef/Owner, La Bella Torte | Brooklyn, New York |
| Johanna Lyons | 29 | Co-owner, Sugar Plum Bakery | Hanson, Massachusetts |
| Kendra Jordan | 31 | Sixth Grade English Teacher | Emporia, Virginia |
| Megan Rountree | 23 | Owner of Legacy Cakes | Keller, Texas |
| Pamela Ahn | 29 | Electrical Engineer; Owner of PamCakes | Washington, DC |
Contestant progress
;NotesEpisode guide
| No. in series | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Contestant eliminated |