Food Network gets baking

US culinary lifestyle channel Food Network has ordered a baking competition series that pits professional bakers against amateurs.

Bakers vs Fakers host Buddy Valastro

Bakers vs Fakers sees four competitors battle it out in each episode for ultimate bragging rights and a cash prize.

The host is Buddy Valastro and the show is produced by his prodco Cakehouse Media, which was also been behind Cake Boss and Buddy’s Family Vacation.

The series premieres in the US next month and features a rotating panel of guest judges such as Damiano Carrara, Nancy Fuller, Paulette Goto, Alex Guarnaschelli, Daphne Oz, Damaris Phillips and Lorraine Pascale.

“As we have seen with the success of Cooks vs Cons, not knowing who is the professional and who is the amateur makes the suspense that much greater for viewers at home, as they try to figure out, along with the host and judges, which competitors are bakers and which are fakers,” said Didi O’Hearn, senior VP programming at Food Network & Cooking Channel.