A modest crew of totally normal people assembled at the Doubletree Hotel in D.C. Monday morning to audition for "The Next Food Network Star." Despite this being a reality show, D.C's potential contestants opted for jeans and a polite demeanor rather than outrageous outfits or antics for their meetings with producers.
Among the drama-free local aspirants: stay-at-home mom Daima Lewis, who has never seen the show, and Victoria Bell, a grill cook at BGR, who didn't even mean to seek out a casting call but stumbled upon an ad while looking for side jobs on Craigslist.
Baltimore private chef Absalom Thomas was the only potential contestant to confess an earnest interest in being on television to Yeas & Nays. "I eventually want my own show," he said, to encourage Americans to make their own healthy meals at home. "I would show people how to shop, how to cook." Thomas previously auditioned for an MTV show in the 1990s, the name of which he can no longer recall.
Contestants were asked to name their favorite ingredients, food philosophy, and to describe their work experience for the producers. Lewis said they "were all nice questions."
