Mauro and Susie Jimenez filmed their own pilots as the last challenge, while Vic Moea was eliminated earlier in the season finale.
- Aug 15, 2011
AceShowbiz - Jeff Mauro is officially the new "Food Network Star" after winning season 7 of the cooking contest. He beat out the other top 2 finalist Susie Jimenez with his "easy way in front of the camera and an idea no one else had put him over the top" in the season finale which was aired on Sunday, August 14.
Mauro's show "Sandwich King", whose pilot was shot as the last challenge of the reality series, will start airing on Sunday, August 21 at 11:30 A.M. on Food Network. He was very nervous during the filming, but managed to deliver great jokes on the final result.
Opening up to Zap2it about the most difficult challenge, he said it was "the anxiety of not knowing what is coming next, having everything in your life mapped out without knowing where you are going."
"Your brain stews while you come up with scenarios and of course being away from your family, it affects you," Mauro went on explaining. "And if you are strong enough, you can tell yourself you are doing this for them and not let them down by focusing on homesickness too much."
The finale started with three remaining contestants - Mauro, Jimenez and Vic "Vegas" Moea - but Moea was sent home after the Camera Challenge and did not film the pilot. The episode also brought back previously eliminated contestants as the focus group who watched the pilots along with the judges.
