Who is Stephanie James? Meet 'Worst Cooks in America' contestant whose son thinks she deserves that label
Stephanie James was eliminated from 'Worst Cooks in America' on Sunday (January 10) night. She was one of the main contenders to win the $25,000 prize money but her journey was cut short because the dishes she served up couldn't impress her mentor, Chef Anne Burrell, as much as the dishes that the other Rocking Red Stars put together. However, whatever time she had on the show has made her a celebrity in her community of Kenilworth in Chicago. Here's all you need to know about her.
Who is Stephanie James?
This Rogers Park neighborhood resident has no qualms accepting that cooking is a gift that she was born without. She cooked up a huge batch of her special spaghetti and meat sauce for the family gathering sometime last summer. Stephanie had to leave that party red-faced, completely embarrassed by the fact that no one had eaten it. “I guess the sauce had no flavor and the meat was burnt,” she said, according to a report. “Everybody in my family can cook. I didn’t get that gift," she added.
Stephanie in the kitchen
“Even when I follow a recipe, it’s either hit or miss," says this 40-year-old amateur cook who relies on pre-made pizzas and hot dogs for her meals. The reason she decided to get on to the show was "because first and foremost I am a fan." She added, “I want to learn some skills and I felt like this was the show that could teach me.. but never in a million years did I think I would be selected.” Detailing what her aspirations from her time on the show are, “I want to learn how to cook from scratch. I want to be able to open the refrigerator and see what I have, whip something up, and it be delicious. And I want to cook a big meal for my family.”
What does she do?
Stephanie is a post office clerk in Kenilworth and a very famous one at that. Last week, on Episode one, she was called out for not cooking her lasagna shells. Two days after the episode aired, she had a woman walk into the post office with a package and it wasn't something that she wanted to send someone. Instead, it was a box of lasagna shells and an onion that she had issues with during the episode. That's some fame.
Apart from being a postal clerk, Stephanie is also an aspiring filmmaker. She also completed her first novel 'Remember Me' in 2019. Equal parts mystery and thriller, the novel tells the tale of a young woman, Sybil, who is on the rebound after a messy break-up, “with a bad boy type of guy, and she’s wallowing in self-pity,” Stephanie told Chicago Tribune. When Sybil falls hard for a charming new man, who appears to be the perfect match, the story takes a dark turn. The Chicagoan is still shopping for a publisher for her novel. She is also the winner of the “audience choice” award at the 26th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival, programmed through the Gene Siskel Film Center. For those who don't know, she spent years writing screenplays for an online soap opera-style drama that featured her actor friends, as well as her son.
Her family
Stephanie is the mother of a teenage son who thinks she's indeed the worst cook in America. He's extremely supportive of her culinary aspirations and is positive that she'd one day make it but when the time comes for him to taste her creations, he would rather eat what his grandmother cooks. The three of them live together and Stephanie hopes to find another addition to her family through her cooking. “They say food is how you get to a man’s heart... I’ve got to know how to cook for him," Stephanie said as she is on the lookout for a husband.
'Worst Cooks in America' airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on Food Network.
